Ghosts of Boyfriends Past
by charley07
Summary: The Liars return home from college for a funeral. Aria hasn't spoken to Ezra in a year but he attempts to make his way back into her life. Hanna also deals with the past when Caleb shows up unexpectedly and wants a second shot at her heart.
1. Chapter 1

**So I've been writing on this site for a long time but this is my first foray into _Pretty Little Liars_ FF so be nice. I'm still not entirely sure what I'm doing with this story but I know basic plots and that I wanted to bring all the girls together again after (or almost after) finishing college. Let me know what you think. All authors like reviews, whether they're positive or constructively critical. Thanks.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

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><p>Aria looked out the window as the cab she was in drove towards Rosewood. In the four years she'd been away at college, nothing had changed about the sleepy Pennsylvania town.<p>

"Just visiting, miss?" her driver asked.

"I hope so," she sighed as he headed towards her parents' house. "I'm home for a funeral."

He clenched his jaw. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's okay," she murmured. "It's for someone I haven't seen in a long time."

When he reached the Montgomery home, Aria paid him and carried her leather duffel bag up the porch steps and made her way inside.

"Hi, sweetie," Ella greeted her solemnly, pulling her twenty-two-year-old daughter into her arms for a hug. "I'm so sorry you're home under these circumstances."

"Its fine, Mom," Aria assured her. "It's not like I was ever really close with Jason."

"But imagine how this must be for the DiLaurentis'," Ella murmured, walking to the kitchen. "Losing their only daughter and son seven years apart."

Aria sighed. "I know. I mean, Jason was twenty-seven. How many twenty-seven-year-olds die of heart failure?"

"Well, Veronica Hastings said Jason had a history of drug abuse," Ella stated. "That can't be good for a circulatory system in the long run." She looked at her daughter. "Have you spoken to the girls? Are they coming?"

"Yes," Aria confirmed. "Spencer and Toby are coming in from Connecticut early tomorrow morning, Emily came from Arizona yesterday, and Hanna drove home from New York today. We're meeting for dinner tomorrow after the funeral."

"I'm glad college didn't put distance between you four," Ella told her. "After everything you've been through, it's good you're all still so close."

"Yeah," Aria agreed. "I try to see Emily whenever we can, even though there are four hundred miles between us. And Hanna flew out during her spring break in March."

Ella smiled. "Good. So, any new boys since Christmas?"

"Uhh, no," Aria denied. "I've been more focused on graduating than dating."

"Well, don't drown yourself in schoolwork," Ella advised. "You only have a few weeks left and then you have another year of grad school to worry about. Having a life away from school keeps it from taking over everything."

"Mom, please don't," Aria warned. "I'm just not interested."

"Okay," Ella mused. "Well, your father is still at work and Mike is at work. I have some papers to finish grading so you're on your own for a bit."

Aria made her way back to the foyer for her phone from her purse. "I think I'll call Hanna and see what she's up to."

Across town, Hanna was seated at Hollis Pub & Grille, waiting for Aria to show up.

"Hanna."

She froze at the sound of that voice momentarily before turning around to find Sean standing behind her. "Hi."

"How are you?" he smiled, leaning against the barstool next to her. "It's been a long time."

"Yeah," she breathed. "I'm good. I'm getting ready to graduate from Parsons next month. What about you?"

"About the same, except I'm not graduating from fashion school," he chuckled. "Four years at Hollis have been hard enough; I don't need sewing added to that." He cleared his throat. "So, are you uhh, seeing anyone?"

"I'm not," she denied. "There was a guy in New York for a while but that ended back in November."

He nodded. "Yeah, senior year makes relationships a little difficult."

Hanna noticed the platinum ring on his left hand. "So you what, got married as a junior then?"

"Ahh," he muttered, fiddling with the ring. "Actually, yes. Her name is Savannah and she's really great. I think you'd like her."

"I'm sure she's perfect for you," Hanna replied. "You'd never settle for anything less."

His phone vibrated and he checked it quickly. "That's her. I'm supposed to get this food home soon." He took the bag from the bartender and stood up. "It was really good seeing you, Hanna."

As Sean was leaving the pub, Aria made her way inside, nodding hello to him on her way.

"Sean Ackard is married," Hanna said in disbelief as Aria sat at his vacated stool.

"I'm not too surprised," Aria shrugged. "Lots of people who prefer to stay virgins until they're married marry early; they think they're ready for it at a young age."

"He just wanted to get laid," Hanna smirked. "Well, good for him. She's probably some precious Jesus freak."

Aria looked at her friend. "Emily called me this week and said she ran into Caleb at a bar near school."

"I know," Hanna said softly. "She told me."

"Is that weird for you?" Aria wondered.

"Why should it be?" Hanna asked. "I haven't seen him in a long time."

"Well, you loved him," Aria murmured. "And despite everything the two of you went through, he definitely loved you back."

Hanna glared at Aria. "Can we drop it, please? I haven't seen you in two months and I don't really want to discuss past boyfriends unless you're ready to talk about Fitz."

"I'm not," Aria snapped. "How's Parsons?"

"Stressful," Hanna grumbled. "School has never been my thing so it's nice to study things I actually care about but it's still a lot of work."

"But it's paying off, right?" Aria wanted to know. "Spence said she heard through the grapevine you were offered a job with Betsey Johnson when you graduate next month. That's amazing, Han."

Hanna beamed. "Thanks. She's really sweet and I'll be learning from the best." She nudged Aria's knee with her own. "What about you? Have you decided on a grad school?"

"I actually got my acceptance letter to Penn last week," Aria confirmed. "It was a long shot but I hate being so far away from everyone and I got a scholarship so I figured, why not?"

"Exciting," Hanna smiled happily. "Emily's coming home after she graduates, too, so we'll all at least be on the East Coast. Reunions won't be restricted to Christmas and brief summer vacations together."

Aria laughed. "That's true."

They sat in silence for a long time before Hanna spoke again. "Look, I know you don't want to talk _about_ him but are you at least going to talk _to _him? You know he's still teaching at Hollis."

"Why should I?" Aria demanded. "He made his decision when he told me three thousand miles were a few too many between us so why reach out to him now?"

"Well, you two were way more serious than me and Caleb," Hanna said. "I think you should see him."

"Hanna," Aria warned. "We're not doing this."

Before Hanna could respond, Aria's phone beeped with a text message from her mom.

_There's someone here to see you at the house. You should come home._

"Cryptic," Aria whispered. "My mom said someone is at my house to see me. Want to come along?"

"Okay," Hanna shrugged, paying for her one drink. "Let's go."

When the two girls pulled up to Aria's house, both had been expecting to find Emily waiting on the front porch. Instead, Hanna's jaw dropped at the sight of Ezra.

"Oh, God," Aria breathed. "What's he doing here? I didn't tell him I was home."

Hanna shook her head. "It's not like I told him. Should I go?"

"I guess," Aria agreed, opening the passenger door of Hanna's black BMW—an early graduation gift from her still mostly absent father. "Thanks for the ride. I'll see you tomorrow."

Ezra stood as Aria approached. "Thanks for coming."

"Well, my mom didn't say it was you," Aria replied. "If she had, I probably wouldn't be here." She stopped several feet away from him. "Was she surprised you came here to see me?"

"I think so," he nodded. "I tried to make up an excuse but I doubt she bought it. I just had to see you."

"How did you even know I was home?" she wanted to know. "We haven't spoken in a year."

"I ran into Emily Fields at the grocery store this morning and she mentioned you were all home for a funeral," he explained. "But she immediately felt bad so don't blame her. I practically bullied it out of her."

Aria crossed her arms. "What do you want, Ezra?"

"I wanted to see you," he mumbled. "I miss you. I made a huge mistake when I ended things and I wanted to apologize in person. I've thought about flying out to California about a hundred times but I've always talked myself out of it." He took a tentative step towards her. "I love you, Aria."

She retreated backwards. "Don't. You don't get to come here and put on this face and tell me you love me. Not after everything that happened. I didn't come home for this."

"I know my timing is terrible but I had to take any opportunity I could," he said. "I'm sorry for springing this on you."

Aria was momentarily quiet before finding her voice one last time. "I can't do this right now, Ezra. I have a funeral to go to in the morning."

"Right," he whispered. "Well, I'd really like to see you again before you go back to LA. Is that possible?"

"Probably not," she denied, making her way past him towards the door. She stopped with her hand on the doorknob and turned back once more. "But we'll see."

Ella and Byron were seated on the couch when Aria made her way inside.

"Aria," Ella called to her. "Can you tell us why your high school English teacher was here to see you?"

Aria knew, at twenty-two, that there was nothing her parents could do about her former relationship so she decided it was time for the truth. "He came to apologize."

"Apologize for what?" Byron asked cautiously. "You've been out of high school for four years and he's been at Hollis for five. What could he possibly have to apologize to you for now?"

She took a deep breath and faced her parents. "For breaking my heart when he ended our relationship last year."

Silence filled the room.


	2. Chapter 2

**I typically never post so soon between chapters but I was inspired so here's chapter two. It's also a bit longer than a typical chapter I'd write so I wouldn't really recommend getting used to it. But I like it. I like writing Aria/Ezra and Hanna/Caleb stories, I've decided. They're my favorite _Pretty Little Liars_ couples but there will be some Spencer/Toby and Emily/New Girl stuff, as well. Thanks for reading and reviewing. It's really encouraging.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

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><p>Aria sat down on the couch across from her parents, finally ready to come clean about her relationship with Ezra.<p>

"Relationship?" Byron repeated. "How can you possibly have had a relationship with Mr. Fitz? You've been in California for four years. Did you randomly bump into him out there?"

"No," Aria denied. "_Ezra_ and I started seeing each other the day we came back from Iceland."

"What?" Ella exclaimed, standing up. "You were sixteen! He was your high school English teacher! It is completely inappropriate."

"Mom, stop!" Aria cried. "You don't know anything about the relationship we had. We were in love."

Byron shook his head. "Let me get this straight. You dated your high school English teacher for how long?"

"Stop calling him that," Aria demanded. "And we were together for four-and-a-half years."

"Four-and-a-half years?" Ella exclaimed, this time louder than the last. "Aria, what is wrong with you? Was he taking advantage of you? You were sixteen!"

Aria gritted her teeth. "Like I said, we met before we knew he would be my teacher and it was never about the age difference. Well, not after the first couple months."

"This is entirely unacceptable," Byron declared. "Not only were you underage and dating your teacher, but you've kept this from us since you were sixteen. I don't even know who you are right now."

Aria stood up. "I'm your twenty-two-year-old daughter who doesn't need you making decisions for me anymore. And it's been over for more than a year so it doesn't really matter what you think of it now. I was very much in love with him and our relationship was never anything inappropriate or abnormal. I'm sorry I kept this from you—it's actually a major part of why we broke up—but I can't take it back now."

Ella looked down at her husband and closed her eyes. "I think you need to let us discuss this, Aria. You should go."

"Go?" Aria repeated. "What, are you kicking me out of the house?"

"We just need to digest this for a while," Byron told her. "We'll call you when we're able to talk more rationally."

"This is ridiculous," Aria scoffed, walking back to the foyer to grab her bag. "Don't bother calling me; I won't answer." She left and slammed the door behind her.

Hanna pulled into her mom's driveway and made her way inside.

"Han?" Ashley called, making her way to the foyer from the kitchen. "Before you come any further, you should know we have a guest and I don't want you to freak out. He showed up completely out of the blue and insisted on seeing you. I couldn't turn him away."

Hanna frowned as she removed her jean jacket and headed towards the kitchen. "Is it Dad? He has some nerv—,"

She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence because there, seated on one of the stools at the island was Caleb, looking exactly like he had the first time Hanna had ever seen him.

"Hi," he breathed nervously. "Do you think we could talk?"

Ashley patted her daughter's back and excused herself up to her room.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him, leaning against the desk across from him. "I haven't seen or even heard from you since I was eighteen."

Caleb nodded, remembering his surprise phone call to her on her eighteenth birthday. "I know. It's just, I ran into Emily last week and she said you were coming home for a funeral and I thought, 'If I'm ever going to attempt to see her again, now's my shot.' I probably have zero business being here and for all I know, you're happily in love with some new guy but I had to see you."

"I'm not seeing anyone," Hanna interrupted, unsure of why she felt the need to share that information with him. "I dated a guy in New York for a year but we've been broken up for a while now."

Part of her wanted to tell him to leave because seeing him still hurt her heart after everything that had gone down with Jenna Marshall but another part of her—maybe bigger than the first part—wanted to hear him out. It had been so long since she'd last seen him but he was still the same Caleb, standing in front of her, giving her that look that after all these years, still made her weak in the knees.

"Do you want me to leave?" he asked her softly.

"No," she shook her head, taking a deep breath as she walked to the refrigerator. "Are you hungry? I could make us an early dinner."

"Okay," Caleb smiled, jumping at the chance to stay, even if it was only for a little while. "Dinner sounds great."

Aria sat in the back of the cab and looked up at the building to her right.

"You gotta get out at some point," the driver told her. "The meter is running."

"I know," she nodded. "Just give me a minute."

"As long as you pay, I guess I can sit here all night," he shrugged, turning on the radio to an adult contemporary station.

Aria pulled out her wallet and handed him money. "No, I'm going. Thank you."

Ezra was just settling onto his couch for another night of cold takeout when there was a sharp knock at his door. He set his carton of fried rice on the coffee table and walked to answer it.

"Hi," Aria said when he found her on the other side. "I told my parents the truth about us and they irrationally kicked me out of my house. I was going to go to Hanna's or Emily's but then I realized this is technically your fault for never letting me tell them in the first place so you're stuck with me."

He pulled the door back to let her into the apartment. "I'm okay with that."

"I also hope you're okay sleeping on your couch," she added. "I'm not here to makeup; I'm here for a place to crash until I leave on Sunday." She set her bag down on the coffee table and looked around. "You rearranged."

"I was sick all during spring break and my doctor recommended I stay in so I got bored," he explained, trying to clean up some of his mess. "I'm glad you came here though, no matter your intentions; it means you don't hate me."

Aria sighed. "I've never hated you, Ezra. I've been upset and hurt and definitely brokenhearted but I'd never hate you. You meant too much to me."

He noticed her use of past tense. "Meant?"

"Let's not," she suggested. "For the next couple of days, just regard me as a quiet roommate." She picked up her bag again and walked to the bedroom.

"I don't think I can do that," Ezra muttered as she shut the door behind her.

Hanna and Caleb ate their spaghetti in silence, each trying to come up with something to break the awkwardness between them.

"Tell me about New York," he finally said. "Emily said you're at design school?"

"Parsons," she confirmed. "I'm studying fashion. When I graduate next month I'll go to work for Betsey Johnson."

He smirked. "Should I know who that is?"

"I wouldn't expect you to," Hanna teased, "but she's a really important designer."

"That's awesome," he smiled. "I'm really happy for you."

"What about you?" she asked. "How's Arizona?"

Caleb shrugged. "It's fine. I go to Northern Arizona University on a scholarship and I'll graduate next month with a degree in engineering."

"That's impressive," she mused, slightly taken aback.

"Because you never thought I'd finish high school," he stated knowingly. "I know. I wasn't sure I wanted to but when I didn't find my mom, I decided it was time to stop trying to figure out the past and work on my future." He paused and knew his next statement would probably change the course of their conversation. "And if I'm being honest, there's a part of me that knew I'd have to really get my life together if I ever wanted back in yours."

"You never found her?" Hanna whispered, ignoring his last statement. "I'm sorry."

"What can you do?" he muttered. "I just realized if she wanted me to find her, she would've made herself available to me. But I've got friends out there and even a couple cool professors who want to see me do well so I'm happy enough."

Hanna looked down at her plate. "What does 'happy enough' mean?"

"It means I could be happier but it could also be worse," he replied. "I'm content."

"I see," she whispered. "Well, I'm glad things are going well for you out there."

"Yeah," he nodded. "It was sort of cool running into Emily. I don't think she was too thrilled to see me but I managed to talk to her for a little bit."

"About what?" she wondered. "You and Emily were never exactly friends."

"No," he agreed, "but _you_ and Emily are. I mostly just badgered her about you. Does that upset you?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "I don't like that you're bothering my friends."

"Well, it's not like I could just call you," he shot back. "Your number isn't the same anymore."

Hanna played with the bangle on her right arm. "I switched plans two years ago and it changed. I guess I never considered giving it to you."

"It's okay," he assured her. "I didn't deserve it."

"I didn't think you'd care to have it," she admitted.

"Hanna," he said in a way that made her heart skip a beat. "I care. I've always cared."

She finally looked at him. "Why? It's been more than five years since you last stood in this kitchen. Why didn't you move on?"

"Because I love you," he said. "Maybe I shouldn't anymore but I do. You were the first person who ever really accepted me and that mattered. I really fucked up back in high school and I've completely regretted it ever since."

"Caleb," she whispered. "Look, I'm okay with talking and spending some time together but I don't want to do _this_ right now. I'm not exactly ready to hear it."

"Fair enough," he nodded. "So, can I ask whose funeral you're going to?"

"Jason DiLaurentis," she told him. "Alison's older brother."

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "What happened to him?"

Hanna cleared her throat. "Heart failure. It was really unexpected and it's so sad. He really struggled when Ali died."

Caleb tentatively placed a hand over hers. "Do you uhh, think I could come with you? I'd like to be there for you if I can."

"Um, I guess so," she shrugged, pulling her hand away. "Where are you staying in town?"

"I was gonna head over to the Edgewood Motor Court after this," he reported. "I'll just get a room there."

Hanna stood up and cleared their plates. "You don't have to do that. You can stay here if you want."

"Well, I do miss that basement," he joked.

"Ha-ha," she deadpanned. "You were allowed in the guestroom once before so I'm sure my mom will be fine with that now."

"Are you?" he wanted to know, following her towards the steps.

"Sure," she nodded. "My door has a lock."

Ezra sat on his couch the rest of the night, reading _The Beautiful and Damned_ while Aria remained behind the closed door of his bedroom. He desperately wanted her to talk to him but he knew that would have to be on her terms, not his. He was the one who'd messed up just after Christmas of her junior year. He should have let her tell her friends and family about them; their relationship had been normal—and legal—since she'd turned eighteen but he still had apprehension about what people here would think. When he visited her in California, they had a life like any other couple. Eventually Aria decided she was ready to tell people but he'd told her not to. That—along with the distance—had put too much strain on their relationship and out of fear that she'd tell others without telling him first, Ezra had ended it.

"Do you have a pair of socks I can borrow?" Aria asked, breaking his thoughts by sticking her head into the room. "I didn't bring any and I forgot how cold it gets in this apartment."

"Uh, yeah," he said. "Same drawer as they've always been."

"Thanks," she mumbled, closing the door once more.

She walked to his dresser and pulled open the top drawer to find socks. As she dug around looking for a matching pair, a photo buried at the bottom caught her eye. It was the first photo they'd ever officially taken as a couple, wearing the grocery bags over their heads. Tears unexpectedly sprang to the corners of her eyes.

"I was afraid you'd find that," Ezra murmured from the door. "When we broke up, I tried to get rid of anything that reminded me of you to make it easier for me but I couldn't bring myself to give that picture up. It was one of the best nights of my life."

"Me, too," she remembered quietly. "I'd forgotten about this photo. It used to be in a frame on your desk."

"Well, even though I couldn't throw it out, I couldn't look at it every day either," he admitted. "I just, I needed some reminder that what we had was real."

Aria sat down on the edge of the bed. "Of course it was real, Ezra. More than four years together automatically makes it real. You just worried too much about what people thought around here, despite us rarely actually being here."

"I know," he agreed, sitting down next to her. "I was an idiot. I should've let you tell people."

Coming clean with her parents had felt like a relief, even though it hadn't turned out like she'd wanted, so she decided it was finally time to be honest with him, too. "My friends have always known."

"What?" he asked.

"In high school, when you came back from New York and we sat in your car at Mona's birthday party, Hanna saw us," she explained. "When she asked me about, I couldn't lie. I didn't want to. I knew they would understand and accept it."

"So your friends—I'm assuming Hanna, Spencer, and Emily—have known all along about us?" he stated, letting it sink in. "And they never said a word?"

Aria shook her head. "Of course not. They trusted me so long as I trusted you. Please don't be mad about this. They've never told anyone." She paused. "Well, Spencer's probably told Toby at this point but that's it."

"I'm not mad," he assured her. "I'm actually surprised by how _not_ mad I am. It's weird, knowing they know. Or knew or whatever. It only reiterates the fact that I was entirely wrong about letting you tell people about us. I mean, I haven't been your teacher since pretty early in the relationship. I was being a jackass."

"You _are_ a jackass," she corrected, nudging him with her leg. "But for a long time, you were _my_ jackass and I loved you."

"And now?" he wondered.

"And now, I don't know," Aria replied. "I still love you, Ezra, but I'm not sure how it can work anymore."

He stood up to return to the living room. "Well, I think I'm gonna wait for you, Aria Montgomery. I've read enough classic literature to know a story like ours isn't over yet."

Once he was gone, she fell back onto the bed. "Oh, I hope you're right."


	3. Chapter 3

**Again, it's sooner than I expected but I'm usually really inspired when I first start a story. It helps that the new season just started, even though I'm writing in the future. Spencer and Emily finally make their appearances and the next chapter will be a little more Spencer/Toby heavy, even though my main couples are still gonna be "Ezria" and "Haleb." I'm really glad people are taking well to this story and nothing brightens my day more than the little red bubble that pops up on the email icon on my cell phone, alerting me about reviews and subscribers. You're the absolute best. I hope you like it. If there's something you'd like to see, let me know; I'm always open to suggestion. Thanks.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

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><p>Aria woke up Saturday morning, readied herself for the funeral, and snuck out of Ezra's apartment while he was in the shower. She walked to the church by herself, knowing she'd run into her parents when she got there.<p>

"Aria!"

She looked up and saw Spencer waving to her at the end of the block. "Spence, hi."

The two girls hugged as Aria smiled at Toby in greeting.

"Strange, isn't it?" Spencer murmured as they continued towards the church. "The last funeral we came to here was his sister's."

"Yeah," Aria agreed. "I feel so awful for their parents."

"Speaking of, why didn't you come with your parents?" Spencer wondered. "Didn't you stay there last night?"

"We'll talk about that after the funeral," Aria muttered. "Let's just find Hanna and Emily."

Toby looked ahead. "I think Hanna is already here. And she's not alone."

The two girls followed his gaze and found Hanna waiting for them near the steps with Caleb standing next to her, wearing what appeared to be a brand new suit.

"Uh, hi," Spencer said slowly, trying to wrap her head around Caleb's presence. She wrapped her arms around Hanna. "What's he doing here?"

"Wait til dinner," Hanna whispered. "Where's Em?"

"I'm here," Emily called out, approaching from the opposite direction with her parents.

The four girls linked hands—with Toby and Caleb following behind them—and made their way into the church for the second DiLaurentis funeral of their lives. Gossip and whispers still surrounded them in Rosewood; they'd be forever infamous for what they suffered through in high school. But now, six years after their reign of terror, the petty rumors no longer bothered them.

"Girls," Mrs. DiLaurentis said somberly when they met her in the aisle. "I'm so glad you came."

"Of course," Spencer nodded, hugging her old friend's mother. "We're so, so sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," Mrs. DiLaurentis accepted robotically.

The girls slid into a pew near the middle of the church, with Toby on one end next to Spencer and Caleb on the other with Hanna. During the services, Aria couldn't help but wish Ezra had offered to come with her, despite the current friction between them. She saw that Toby had tightly gripped Spencer's hand and even Hanna and Caleb were dangerously close to locking fingers several times. On cue, as if she'd sensed her friend's loneliness, Emily took Aria's hand in her own and smiled sadly at her.

"I can't over the heart failure thing," Hanna muttered when the funeral ended and the group convened outside the church. "I know he was into drugs when we were kids but last I remember of Jason, he was like, a workout fiend."

"My mom said extensive drug use can wear down your circulatory system, no matter how long it's been since you used," Aria spoke up, remembering her parents were somewhere nearby.

"So, Caleb, how's Arizona?" Spencer wondered, trying to figure out how he'd ended up as Hanna's funeral companion. "Are you working out there?"

Hanna rolled her eyes, knowing Spencer assumed he wasn't in school. "He's an engineering major at Northern Arizona University."

"Oh," Spencer murmured, ashamed of her judgment. "That's great."

Aria could feel eyes watching her so she turned to her left and spotted her parents and Mike. They waved her over but she shook her head. Ella whispered something to her son and Mike made his way towards his sister.

"They feel bad for making you leave last night," he explained as the siblings met. "They'd like you to come home."

"Why?" she scoffed. "So they can judge me some more to my face? No, thanks."

Mike frowned. "Where'd you end up last night?"

"Ezra's," she answered boldly without elaboration, knowing her parents would assume the worst when they heard. "I'll be there again tonight, as well."

"You're crazy," he sighed. "Hooking up with your English teacher? You realize he could've gone to jail for that, right?"

"Yes," she nodded, "but he didn't. Look, Mike, I'm sorry but I'm not ready to talk to them just yet."

He nodded. "I get it. But Aria, don't go back to LA without at least saying goodbye."

She hugged her brother. "I'll stop by on my way to the airport."

"Okay, what are the plans for dinner?" Emily wanted to know as they all walked down the block to the parking lot. "Apple Rose Grille?"

"Reservation is for seven," Hanna confirmed. "I'll see you all then."

Once she and Caleb were out of earshot, Spencer turned to the other two girls and raised an eyebrow. "Since when is Caleb back in her life?"

"No idea," Aria shook her head. "We met for a drink yesterday and she had no desire to talk about him. Em, do you know anything?"

Emily bit her lip. "I told him to come home this weekend."

"What?" Aria cried. "Why would you do that?"

"Because Hanna misses him," Emily replied. "I know it's been like, five years since she last saw him but he affected her in a way she's never gotten over. When she and Sean broke up, she bounced back so quick it almost gave me whiplash and they dated for a year. She was only with Caleb for a short time and his betrayal _destroyed_ her. Don't you know about what happened with Grant in November?"

"She said she ended it because he wasn't ready for commitment," Spencer said.

Emily shook her head. "That's not what really happened. For spring break, I surprised her with a visit and I found her at her apartment, sobbing. Now, this was months after their split so I knew it couldn't be about Grant. She wouldn't tell me what was wrong but that night, after she'd gone to bed, I found a picture of her and Caleb on her desk."

"Wow," Aria breathed. "Do you think they're going to get back together?"

"Well, I asked her about the picture the next morning and she said she still loved him," Emily went on, "but she can't forget that he used her. It was her constant wondering of what might've been with Caleb that drove Grant away."

Spencer watched Hanna's car pull out of the lot. "It's been five years. Maybe it's time she lets him back in."

"Well, check you out," Aria teased. "Spencer Hastings, the romantic?"

"You're welcome," Toby joked.

"Do you think you guys could give me a ride to Ezra's?" Aria asked Spencer and Toby. "Please, don't say anything about it right now."

Spencer eyed Emily but nodded. "Sure."

"Hi," Ezra said when Aria returned to his apartment twenty minutes later. "Um, how was it?"

"Sad," she responded. "Their family has suffered a great deal in the last several years."

He was quiet as she removed her heels and sat down on the leather chair. "You look nice."

"Thanks," she muttered.

"Are you hungry?" he wondered, walking to the kitchen. "I could make lunch. Or we could order something." He noticed the look on her face. "Aria, roommates share meals."

She closed her eyes momentarily. "All right, we can eat lunch. I'm going to get out of this dress so you can either cook or order something. My tastes haven't changed."

While she changed in his bedroom, Ezra reached into the top drawer for his takeout menus. He'd kept them for every place they loved and finally decided on a Chinese place down the street. Ordering her usual food hurt his heart; he could recite her favorite foods in his sleep. He remembered her foray into vegetarianism during high school and her three-week dabble in Buddhism during her freshman year at UCLA. His visits to Los Angeles had always been practically perfect the first couple of years. They could go out in public, see movies with other people, and not look over their shoulders constantly for fear of being seen. Eventually, however, that fear became just his. Her trips home for holidays and breaks were filled with fights and arguments about telling her family and friends. Aria figured enough time had passed that her parents would have to accept that they were in love; Ella had always liked Ezra and Byron thought he was okay. But Ezra had panicked and in the heat of things, he'd told her he couldn't do it anymore. Aria walked out of his apartment for the last time on January 4, 2015 and she hadn't been back until she'd knocked on his door the night before.

"What are we having?" she asked, emerging from his room in a pair of dark jeans and a dark purple blouse.

"Mr. Chang's," he answered, holding up the menu. "I figured that since it is the closest place, we'll get it the fastest."

She nodded once and settled onto the couch. "So, how's Hollis?"

"It's great," he replied, happy to be talking normally. "I've have some interesting classes this semester and I'll be sad when it's over next month. I've got this guy in my Twentieth Century American Lit class that can almost recite _To Kill a Mockingbird_, word for word. It's really impressive."

Aria grinned. "I wish I could do that. The only thing I can recite like that is—," she went on before stopping herself. "Forget it."

"No, tell me," he requested, thinking she'd say something cheesy and embarrass herself.

"I was going to say 'B-26' but I don't want to make things awkward right now," she murmured. "I don't have the desire to lock myself in your room but I know that if we talk about us, it's going to get ugly."

"It won't," he denied. "Aria, all I want is for you to know that I was so completely wrong for telling you that you couldn't tell anyone about us. And now, knowing you're in this fight with your parents because of me, it makes me feel sick because it's entirely my fault." He laughed harshly. "It's somewhat incredible; six years later and I'm still making your life hell."

She frowned. "Don't say that, Ezra. Sure, things might've been hard for us—especially at first—but it was never hell; most of the time I was completely blessed out. I just, I wish you would've talked to me about why you were so against telling. Four-and-a-half-years were too long for us to be together for anyone's opinion of us to matter. If my parents had kicked me out then, I would've been less upset about it because I had you and that's what I cared about."

"I know," he mumbled. "Aria, not a day goes by that I don't regret letting you get away. I sometimes see your dad on campus and I get this urge to tell him I'm in love with you but I don't because it's not my place anymore. I'm so sorry for what happened between us."

"So am I," she nodded. "And maybe someday we'll figure it out but right now we have to settle for just being temporary roommates."

"So, thanks for going with me," Hanna said as she and Caleb made their way into her mother's house. "You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to," he said, loosening his tie. "I would do anything for you, Hanna."

She sighed. "I don't want to hear you apologize again. I know you're sorry and I believe you, just like I did when you first said it years ago. I just, I'm still having a hard time forgetting what you did. I know, it's been a long time and it doesn't matter anymore but it was still devastating. I loved you and you spied on me."

"Hanna, I swear I stoppe—," he began.

"Stop," she held up a hand. "I also believe that what we had really meant something to you, as well. But I need to process you being back in my life before I try to make sense of things."

He let this sink in. "I understand. Take your time, please. To be honest, I'm just glad you didn't kick me out last night."

"Well, I've grown up and was ready to hear you out," she explained, removing her shoes. "Even you deserved that."

Caleb chuckled. "I'm not sure that's true but I'll take it. So, do you have any plans for the afternoon?"

"Not really," she shook her head. "For now, I think I'm just going to change into a pair of yoga pants and watch a movie. You're welcome to join me."

"I think I will," he murmured. "I'll even let you pick it out."

"As if that was ever in question," she laughed, heading upstairs to her bedroom.

"Oh, I'm so getting you back, Hanna Marin," he smirked once she was gone. "You just don't know it yet."

Aria finished her lunch and sighed. "I haven't had Mr. Chang's in forever but it's exactly as I remember it."

"Well, fried rice and steamed vegetables are pretty standard when it comes to Chinese food. It would be hard to screw either of them up," Ezra grinned.

Before Aria could respond, there was a knock at the door. Without thinking, Aria walked over to answer it. She was certainly not expecting who she found on the other side. "What are you doing here?"

Ella glanced at her husband before speaking. "I had your dad look up Ezra's address through his school records. I think the four of us should talk."

With an apologetic look at Ezra, Aria pulled the door further back and let her parents into the apartment, mentally preparing herself for what was about to happen.


	4. Chapter 4

**First, I know Ezra's apartment doesn't really have a separate bedroom but for the sake of this story, let's pretend, shall we? And I realize the first part with Spencer and Toby might seem a little out of context but it sets up the rest of the story to bring all the girls to Rosewood for a little bit. I'm also really proud of the scene with Aria, Ezra, and her parents so let me know what you think of it. It's really cool to read the nice feedback I've been getting; I really appreciate it. Keep it coming because it's the best motivator there is. _Grazie. _  
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**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

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><p>Toby watched in amazement as Spencer tore through her suitcase for an outfit to wear to dinner with the girls. In the five years they'd been together, he'd learned all of her quirks and habits but certain things—like her drive for perfection and ability to get things done in half the time of an average person—still amazed him. After finishing high school, he'd followed her to New Haven for school. She was finishing up undergrad at Yale while he worked closely with a successful architect in town. Without a college degree he would never take on the full workload but he made really good money and was doing something he loved.<p>

"Gray blouse or brown tunic?" she asked him, holding up the two tops she'd narrowed it down to. "I can't make a decision."

"Marry me," he blurted out suddenly.

Spencer slowly dropped the shirts. "What?"

"I'm sorry," he apologized quickly as his brain caught up with his mouth. "I didn't mean that."

"You didn't?" she muttered, deflating rapidly. "You don't want to marry me?"

Toby mentally kicked himself and went to his duffel bag on his dresser in their hotel room. He reached in and pulled out a small velvet box. "Of course I want to marry you. I just went about that proposal entirely wrong." He stood before her and got down on one knee.

"Oh, my God," Spencer breathed, realizing what was happening. "Toby?"

"For a long time, my life was one dark event after another," he began nervously, unsure of how she was going to react. "I wasn't sure I would ever make it out alive but then you came along and we sort of helped each other through some rough times. I never expected to fall in love with you but I couldn't help it. You're beautiful and smart and passionate. You know exactly what you want and you go for it whole-heartedly. You make me want to be the best version of myself. We've been so lucky in our relationship and if it's taught me anything, it's that I want to spend the rest of my life with you and I want to start an official life together as soon as we can. So," he continued shakily, opening the box to reveal a round-cut diamond ring, "Spencer Hastings, will you marry me?"

"You're serious?" she said as tears filled her eyes. "This isn't a joke?"

"Look at me down here," he laughed. "Does it look like a joke?"

"Then yes!" she cried. "Yes, of course I'll marry you!"

He stood up and put the diamond on her left ring finger before she threw her arms around his neck to kiss him.

"I love you," he told her when they finally parted. "I know you still have so much to accomplish but I want to be right next to you when you do it. I swear that I'll never hold you back from anything."

Spencer took his face into her hands. "Toby, I know that. I love you so much that it hurts sometimes. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life as Spencer Cavanaugh."

"You don't want to hyphenate?" he asked. "I sort of always thought you would."

"No," she shook her head. "The Hastings name doesn't really do it for me anymore."

He kissed her again. "Well, I think mine will fit you quite nicely."

"I know it would be soon, but how do you feel about this July?" she wondered. "It's crazy and will be hectic but once I start law school in September, I won't have time for my course load and planning a wedding. And I don't want anything big. You remember Melissa and Heath's monstrosity. It was so over-the-top and that's not really our style. I'd rather a small wedding with just family and friends in my backyard."

"July is perfect," he beamed, still basking in the happiness of her acceptance. "I certainly don't need the ice sculptures and doves they had."

"Yeah, they thought that was all beautiful and fancy until one of those doves relieved itself on Reverend Ackard's head," Spencer remembered fondly.

Toby nodded at the memory. "Yeah, that's when it finally got interesting."

The tension in Ezra's apartment was so thick it couldn't be cut with a chainsaw. Aria and Ezra sat facing Ella and Byron, waiting for one of them to finally speak.

"You know, you two came _here_," Aria reminded them, breaking the silence. "What do you want?"

"We realize we might've overreacted yesterday when you explained your relationship to Ezra and we wanted to talk it out as rational events," Ella explained. "So, tell us how it all started."

Ezra knew that if he wanted to prove to Aria that he was ready for her parents to know about their past so they could have a future, he'd have to take the lead in this conversation. "Aria and I met the day your family returned from Europe. She'd just dropped Mike off at lacrosse practice and stopped at the Hollis Pub for something to eat before she had to be back to pick him up. It was empty except for the two of us so we got to talking and we hit it off. I was instantly attracted to her maturity and her obvious passion for literature. We ended up spending time together that afternoon but it never came up that I was going to be her teacher."

"I gave him the impression I was in college," Aria spoke up. "He told me he'd just graduated and I liked him so I didn't want to tell him right away that I was sixteen."

"When I realized she was one of my students, I knew I had to end whatever it was and I did," Ezra went on. "Or I tried to, at least. I'm sure you already know this but Aria is incredibly hard to stay away from. She's smart and beautiful and artistic. Despite my position as her teacher, I was drawn to her and I couldn't deny the attraction. Eventually we gave into our feelings and we started secretly seeing each other. I knew it was wrong but I couldn't help it."

Aria sat in awe as Ezra explained everything to her parents. He wasn't holding anything back and she couldn't help but feel a jolt pulse through her as he spoke. For so long, all she'd wanted was for him to talk to Ella and Byron about their relationship and now, here he was doing it, sharing so much more than even she'd ever planned to tell them.

"So," Byron spoke up when Ezra made it clear that he was finished, "you dated our sixteen-year-old daughter, knowing it was wrong because you were her teacher? How did you sleep at night?"

"Probably as well as you did when you were sleeping with Meredith," Aria snapped, tired of the uncalled for judgment.

"Aria!" Ezra hissed, shaking his head. "Not the time."

"So what about after you left Rosewood High?" Ella asked, getting the conversation back on track.

"When I left to teach at Hollis, it was a little easier on us because we knew we could at least venture out into public occasionally without raising too many eyebrows," Ezra answered. "At the time, we were both still cautious about you seeing us but Aria knew places to avoid and if we saw any of her friends or my former students, we tried our best to ignore them."

Byron, trying to regain his composure, took a deep breath before speaking again. "So why didn't you ever tell us? If you were as in love as you say you were, wouldn't you have been better off letting us know when you were still together?"

Ezra glanced at Aria before clearing his throat. "I was still so afraid of what you'd think. When we were together in California, we were as normal a couple as anyone because no one knew us and Aria got accustomed to that. As nice as it was, I thought that if we went officially public here and told you, questions would be raised about how our relationship started and you two would be so angry and I didn't want her to suffer. Eventually, the fear of her slipping and telling anyone paralyzed me and I pushed her away." He paused momentarily. "I don't have any greater regret than letting Aria go the way I did. I am still very much in love with your daughter and it's sort of a relief to tell you that. I'm sorry for the way you found out and that we never told you sooner but what's done is done."

"In retrospect, I should've known," Ella mused. "God, the way she talked about you. I always thought she had a crush but I never put two and two together. And all those nights at Spencer's or Hanna's or Emily's. The girls have always been close but they couldn't spend that much time together." Something struck her. "That time you accidentally sent me the text that was clearly meant for a boy? That was for him, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Aria confirmed. "He never knew about that slip though because I knew he'd freak out about it. Every potential threat of exposure drove him crazy because we were so cautious and he was desperate to protect me from rumors and gossip." She squared off with her parents. "I know you're mad about all this but please, don't be upset because we were together. There's nothing you can say that will make me regret the relationship we had. If anything, just be mad that I never told you because in actuality, it was my responsibility, not his."

Byron suddenly chuckled. "I remember the first time I met you. You were so nervous and at the time, I thought it was because I was bullying you about taking Ella to the Leonard Addams thing. Instead, you were terrified I'd find out you were having sex with my underage daughter."

"Dad!" Aria cried. "Stop being such a jerk about this."

"She's right," Ella agreed. "She's an adult now and despite the age difference, it seems as though what they had was very real. We can't fault them for falling in love because sometimes, you just can't help it."

Aria shot her mother a grateful look. "Thank you."

"So, what about the future?" Ella wanted to know. "Is there potential now that everything is out in the open?"

Aria looked to Ezra, still immensely impressed by his candidness with her parents. "Maybe."

Byron stood up. "Well, it's clear to me that I'm going to be overruled on this matter now so I should go." Without another word, he sulked out of the apartment.

The remaining three stood, as well.

"I'll talk him down," Ella assured them. "He's just reeling over the fact that his little girl is not so little anymore. This anger will pass." She pressed a hand to her daughter's cheek. "I'm glad we know now. And I'm sorry for yesterday. It was just a little shocking to hear and it's going to take some getting used to."

"I know," Aria said. "And I'm sorry for being so snappy about it. I just didn't want to hear how wrong the relationship sounded when I knew how right it had been."

Ella hugged her and then held out a hand to Ezra. "I have always thought highly of you so I'm sure you've always treated her well."

"Always," he stated, shaking her hand. "Thank you, Ella."

She grinned once more and excused herself after her husband.

Ezra and Aria sat in silence for a long minute before he turned to her. "Well?"

"You were brilliant," she whispered. "I definitely would not have been so rational."

"I wanted to keep it calm so they could see how much you mean to me," he explained sincerely. "Getting angry at their reactions wasn't going to solve anything. I don't want to be the wedge between you and your family."

"Thank you," she breathed, standing up to go to his room. She stopped and looked at him over her shoulder. "And I meant what I said, about our future together." She smiled briefly. "Maybe."

When _Closer_ ended, Caleb carefully looked down at Hanna sleeping on his shoulder and sighed. A kink had developed in his neck but he couldn't bring himself to adjust because he was afraid she'd wake up and retreat. Using his feet, he brought the remote to him and turned the input back to television.

"Caleb?" Ashley said, walking into the house from her day of meetings at the bank. "What's uhh, going on here?"

"Um, Hanna and I are trying to work on our friendship so we've been hanging out a little since yesterday," he explained, knowing the truth would be better than a lie. "I sort of just showed up in town so she offered the guestroom. If you're not comfortable with that, I can get a motel room."

Ashley shook her head and walked into the room. "No, I'm fine with it. I'm just a little surprised she is. I still don't really know what happened between you two in high school but I know she never really got over it."

"She said she dated a guy in New York for a while," Caleb replied.

"And he ended that relationship because she could never put her whole heart into it," Ashley told him. "You really meant a lot to her. Still do, I guess."

"I'm in love with your daughter, Mrs. Marin," Caleb declared. "I always have been and I'm going to make sure she knows it. I swear I'm not going to hurt her again."

She nodded and turned towards the stairs. "I believe you. And Caleb, you can still just call me Ashley."

"Right," he muttered as she disappeared to her room.

Moments later, Hanna stirred and sat up. "Sorry."

"No big deal," Caleb assured her. "I was comfortable enough."

"Yeah, so was I," she whispered, checking the time. "I should probably clean up and get ready for dinner with the girls." She stood up and walked around the couch in the direction of the stairs before stopping and walking back to kiss him softly on the cheek. "Thanks for being a good pillow."

"Anytime," he grinned as she walked away.

At six-thirty, Aria emerged from Ezra's room again, this time ready to leave for dinner with her friends. "So I'll be back later. Do you have any plans for the night?"

"Hardy is actually in town so we're gonna meet up and have a drink," he answered. "You look nice."

"Thank you," she accepted quietly. "Tell Hardy I say hi."

"I will do that," he confirmed. "If you get done and want to join us, you'd be more than welcome. I'm sure he'd be happy to see you."

Aria laughed. "The last time I saw Hardy, he was really drunk and tried to kiss me. We'll just stick with telling him I said hi for now."

"Right," he chuckled. "Well, have fun with the girls. Have you told them I know that they knew about us?"

"No," she denied. "We agreed to save any big conversations for tonight." She picked up her purse and frowned. "What time are you meeting Hardy?"

"Nine," he said. "Why?"

"Can you give me a ride? It was one thing to walk to the church this morning but the Apple Rose Grille is a bit further," she replied.

Ezra stood up. "Sure." He picked up his keys and followed her to the door.

Spencer, Hanna, and Emily were already waiting at the restaurant when Ezra dropped Aria off out front. She thanked him and made her way inside to their table.

"Um, care to explain what's going on with you two?" Emily wanted to know.

Aria sat down and sighed. "It's complicated."

"Well, I plan on us closing this place tonight so please, un-complicate it for us," Spencer requested. "We have plenty of time."

"Ezra explained our entire history to my parents today and it made me realize something," Aria stated.

Hanna looked up from her menu. "What's that?"

Aria bit her lip. "I am still completely in love with him."


	5. Chapter 5

**So I usually end these chapters with Aria and Ezra but I wanted to end on Hanna and Caleb because I saw stills from next week's episode and they inspired me. I will always love "Ezria" but I'm totally Team "Haleb" all the way right now. Anyways, the reviews I'm getting are so great and you're all so wonderful. I really, really mean that so thank you. As always, let me know what you think. It warms my heart.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

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><p>Hanna stared at Aria. "If we're dropping bombs like <em>that<em> all night, I'm gonna need a drink."

As if on cue, their waiter appeared to take drink orders.

"I'll have a glass of the merlot," Spencer spoke up.

"Just iced tea for me," Emily told him.

"Boo," Hanna groaned. "I'll have a vodka martini and you can just keep them coming."

Aria chuckled. "I'll have a Manhattan."

Once he was gone, Hanna turned her attention back to Aria. "Now, explain this thing with Fitz. When I dropped you off yesterday, you were pissed he was sitting on your porch."

"I'm still mad about how everything went down between us but more importantly, I still love him," Aria muttered. "I know, I shouldn't but he—,"

Spencer held up a hand. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Who says you shouldn't love him anymore?" Aria stared in confusion so she went on. "I know that he impulsively ended things last year and it really hurt you but he was hurt, too. Toby and I came home for Mason's birth that February and we ran into Fitz at Lucky Leon's while picking up a celebratory cake and he looked awful. I thought he was going to cry just seeing me and I'm only your friend. If he's apologizing and telling your parents finally like you said, maybe you should give him a second chance."

"I'm sorry but who are you and what have you done with Spencer Hastings?" Emily joked. "God, do you remember when Caleb lied to Hanna in high school? You were so ready to 'nail his ass to the wall,' as Hanna would say, and now here you are, advising Aria to get back together with Ezra."

Aria smiled half-heartedly. "That's the first time I've ever heard you call him by his first name."

"Yeah, well, I'm twenty-two now and calling him Mr. Fitz just feels weird," Emily shrugged. "I'm more concerned about the lobotomy Spencer has clearly had."

Seizing the moment, Spencer reached into her purse and pulled out the ring she'd accepted only hours ago. "It's probably because I'm still on cloud nine from Toby proposing this afternoon."

"Oh, my God!" the other three girls squealed simultaneously.

Hanna grabbed Spencer's hand to examine the ring. "Spence, this ring is incredible. Who knew Toby Cavanaugh would have such fantastic taste?"

"It was so sweet," Spencer beamed. "I was spinning off into my own little world, trying to decide what to wear tonight and when I turned to ask him his opinion, he just blurted out a proposal. When I questioned it, he got really nervous and fumbled in his duffel bag and pulled out the ring. He talked about being in a dark place when we got together and that I bring out the best in him and he's ready to start our life together. I cried and accepted, of course. But here's the thing—we're getting married July Ninth."

"What?" Emily gasped. "Spence, that's in three months. How are you possibly going to plan a wedding in three months? You're a Hastings."

"But I'm not my sister," Spencer reminded them. "I get why Melissa had the big wedding with Heath after the botched elopement to a psycho but it was too much."

Hanna scoffed. "She had a six-foot fountain of pink champagne and they released doves. I think even Taylor threw up a little and she was only three at the time."

"To be honest, I just want to be married to Toby," Spencer admitted softly. "I know that sounds cheesy but it's true. We talked to my parents afterwards and we're just going to do it in the backyard with family and friends. His parents will then host the reception in their yard."

"So your wedding is going to be a block party," Aria teased. "I'm so happy for you, Spence."

"Thank you," Spencer smiled. "And of course, you three will be bridesmaids. Melissa already called dibs on Matron of Honor so I have to let her have it."

"Understandable," Emily nodded. "And once I'm home for good next month, I'll help you as much as I can."

"Me, too," Aria agreed. "Hopefully my dad has accepted everything by then or living with my parents until I save up enough money for a place will be pretty awkward."

"So Byron didn't take well to the fact that his daughter started dating her high school English teacher at sixteen?" Hanna laughed as the waiter returned with their drinks.

"Are you ladies ready to order?" he asked.

"Yes," Aria declared. "I'm going to have the grilled tilapia and mixed vegetables."

Spencer scanned the menu quickly. "I'll have the filet mignon, medium well. And for a side I'll have the mashed potatoes."

"Um, I'll just have a cheeseburger and fries," Emily decided. "I've been on a major diet this season and it's finally over so I want something delicious. I want it well-done though."

"There's nothing jumping out at me," Hanna grumbled. "I guess I'll go with the twelve spice pasta bowl."

Once the waiter left to put in their orders, Aria sat back in her chair. "Ezra was so amazing with my parents today. He was calm and rational. He told them everything about how we met and how the relationship worked through high school and the first few years of college. I was totally in awe of him."

"And you don't think it was because he thought that if he was completely honest with them, you'd see how sincere he was about his apology to you?" Emily wondered. "If I were him, that's why I'd do it."

"I know," Aria agreed. "I guess I'll just see what happens. With a wedding in a few months, I'm gonna be around a lot so we'll see."

"And speaking of potentially rekindling romances, do you care to tell us about your date to the funeral this morning?" Spencer asked Hanna. "Last I heard, Emily had just run into Caleb in Arizona."

Hanna sighed, knowing this would come. "He showed up at my house last night and I realized it's been five years so I needed to let it go. He's still apologizing and he said he still loves me."

"Do you believe him?" Aria wondered.

"I do," Emily spoke up. "And I know you still love him, too." She took a deep breath and eyed Aria and Spencer before looking at Hanna. "That's why I told him to come home this weekend."

Hanna stared at her. "You what?"

"You miss him, Hanna, and I just thought that if he came home and you saw him, the two of you could figure things out," Emily explained. "I know it wasn't exactly my place but you're my best friend and if you're still not over a guy five years later, it means something. I just want you to be happy."

"It's okay," Hanna shrugged. "I'm not really mad. I mean, if you hadn't done that, I don't think either of us would've made any moves on our own. But it's been okay. He's still pretty much the same Caleb, which I like, and he's staying in the guestroom. I don't know. I mean, I do miss him and I never exactly moved on so I guess I owe it to myself to give him a second chance. I just need to get past the whole betrayal."

Aria patted her hand. "That's great that you're ready though, Han. I thought it was really sweet that he was there for you today."

"It's a slow process but we're working things out, I guess," Hanna stated. "But I don't want to talk about it too much and jinx it; Caleb and I haven't always had the best luck. Em, what about you? Now that swimming is over, you have time to date. Anyone special?"

"No," Emily denied. "There was a girl in my senior seminar but we ended up having next to nothing in common so it wasn't going to work out."

"I saw Paige McCullers recently," Spencer said. "Did you know she got married?"

"I did," Emily laughed quietly. "I guess coming out was too much for her."

"Sad," Aria frowned. "It's a real shame her dad is such a dick."

Emily shook her head. "It never would've worked out with Paige. There was always too much competition."

"You know, I'm a little bit glad you're single because I totally know the perfect girl for you," Hanna gushed. "Her name is Lizzie and she lives across the hall from me in New York. We were always doing our laundry at the same time so we got to talking and she's really sweet. She's from Boston and she's majoring in Women's Studies at NYU. I think she's only junior but what's a year? Aria's man is seven years older than her and it never really stopped them. I really want you to meet her. She's blonde and slim but she played soccer in high school so she's athletic. You'll like her, Em."

"I don't know," Emily murmured, uncomfortable with the idea of being set up. "I don't like blind dates."

"So it won't be a blind date," Hanna shrugged. "When you finish up in Arizona and move back here, you can come visit me and we'll hang with Lizzie. Promise me you'll think about it?"

Emily sighed, knowing Hanna would never drop it. "I'll think about it."

"Good," Hanna beamed. "Now, can we go back to talking about the wedding? I'm so excited and it's not even mine."

Spencer laughed. "We have to talk about it because I'm gonna need a lot of help. And Han, I would really like for you to design my dress."

"What?" Hanna breathed. "Spence, I don't know. Wedding dresses are a huge deal and I don't want to ruin it or make something you hate."

"You won't," Spencer denied. "And I'll work side-by-side with you on it. It's just, I want it to be original and who knows me better than my best friend?"

"Well, all right then," Hanna agreed. "I will happily design your wedding dress, Spencer Hastings."

"Excellent," Spencer grinned. "I know it will be beautiful."

"All right, I do have one last big thing to share with you guys," Aria told them later in the night. "Six years later, Ezra finally knows you guys have pretty much known all along."

Hanna choked on her martini. "He does? How did he react to that?"

"He wasn't mad," Aria answered. "I think it helps that you four never said a word to him about it. I think knowing that you all knew might've helped him deal with my parents like he did. But, just in case you see him out and about, he knows so you don't have to be weird."

"Good," Emily said, "because I was offered an assistant coaching job at Hollis for the fall and I was a little nervous about what it would be like if I saw him."

"Why are you just now telling us about this job?" Aria demanded. "Geez, so much information to take in at one dinner. That's awesome, Em. You'll make a great coach."

"I hope so," Emily nodded. "I'm really excited about it."

"I can't believe we're about to graduate from college," Hanna stated. "Well, Em and I are. You two have grad school or law school or whatever but still. It's bizarre, right? We're like, adults now."

Spencer grinned. "Yeah, we are. Did you think that while we were in high school, sweating bullets every time our phones went off, that we'd end up sitting at the Apple Rose Grille six years later, planning my wedding and talking about Emily's first big job?"

"No," Emily shook her head, "but we're also still dealing with Fitz and Caleb drama so not a whole lot has changed."

Hanna tossed her napkin at Emily. "Ha-ha. There's no drama. We're just sorting things out."

"Well, personally, I hope you and Caleb get back together," Aria admitted. "I know he messed up but he loves you and I always sort of liked him for you."

Spencer made a face. "I can't say I always felt the same but he seems to have grown up and he was there for you this morning and to do that, after five years apart, is big. Don't blow it, Hanna."

"Tell that to Aria!" Hanna shot back. "I had Caleb for a short period of time and she was with Fitzy for four-and-a-half-years. If anyone needs to know not to blow it now, it's her."

"I'm right here!" Aria cried. "I want to forgive him and figure things out but it's just gonna take some time. We'll work on it, just like you and Caleb."

"Let's agree now to drop those subjects for the rest of the night," Emily decided. "No more boy talk, unless it's Toby and involves the wedding."

To her credit, Spencer had been right. The four girls didn't leave the Grille until five til eleven—closing time.

"Want a ride to Ezra's?" Hanna offered Aria. "God, it's weird to call him that."

"Yes, thanks," Aria laughed. "And you'll get used to it."

They bid goodbye to Spencer and Emily, promising to all make plans to get to each other's graduations, and walked down the block to where Hanna had parked her car.

"Is it weird if part of me really wants to just like, climb into bed with Caleb when I get home?" Hanna asked quietly. "It's not like I want to sleep with him. I just want to sleep _next _to him. That might be what I miss most."

"Do it," Aria shrugged. "I highly doubt he'll turn you away."

"What about you?" Hanna asked, unlocking her BMW. "Are you gonna cuddle with your man tonight, as well?"

Aria smiled half-heartedly. "No, but I might let him at least share the bed."

"Baby steps," Hanna chuckled.

After dropping Aria off at Ezra's, Hanna drove home and made her way inside to her bedroom. She changed into a pair of black leggings and a white t-shirt and took a deep breath before sneaking down the hall to the guestroom. It was early but Caleb was already in bed, wearing only a pair of plaid boxers to sleep in. She lifted the cover and crawled in next to him.

"Hanna?" he mumbled, rolling over to her. "What's going on?"

"I just didn't want to sleep alone tonight," she whispered. "Is this okay?"

"Yeah," he said, his voice heavy with sleep. "I can scoot over."

She grabbed his arm and pulled it over her waist, snuggling close to him. "Not tonight."


	6. Chapter 6

**First, let me say that I know this chapter doesn't look super great for Aria and Ezra but this story is far from over. Second, the next chapter will jump around a bit because it will be people going to various graduations across the country and how certain reunions at said graduations happen. I'm still so appreciative of all the feedback I get. Seeing reviews is definitely a huge motivator because I know people want to keep reading. It's a lovely feeling. You're all ace. Thanks.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

* * *

><p>Caleb woke up before Hanna on Sunday but he stayed put. He knew that if he got out of bed, she would wake up and the dream world he'd been in since she'd joined him the night before would end. Part of him was upset that she hadn't said anything to him when she'd climbed into his bed but he was mostly glad to have slept close to her again. He'd had girlfriends in Arizona but none lasted more than a few months and none had ever been serious enough to fill the void Hanna had left. He knew he should've moved on long ago but something always held him back and now, he was glad it had because she was back in his arms, even if only so she didn't have to sleep alone.<p>

"Well, this sure looks cozy," Ashley mused, sticking her head into the room. "I was looking for Hanna to ask her about breakfast and when her bed was empty, I figured she might be in yours."

"I swear, nothing happened," Caleb said quickly. "She came home from dinner with the girls and just asked to sleep here with me."

Ashley smirked. "And you weren't about to tell her no. I get it." She yawned. "Well, how do you feel about French toast for breakfast? It's Hanna's favorite and she's going back to New York this evening so I thought I'd make it. And speaking of her going back to New York, when do you go back to Arizona?"

"Flight leaves at six," he replied. "I have a few more weeks of classes and then finals before graduation." He cleared his throat. "What about her?"

"Two weeks of class, the senior show, and a couple finals," Ashley recited from memory. "If you're finished, you're welcome to join me in the crowd. You might even meet her dad."

"I'd like to," he admitted. "I know they have issues between them but I want him to know I can take care of her and that I love her."

Ashley nodded. "I get it. Every boy wants to impress the girl's father, no matter the circumstances." She yawned again. "Well, I'll start breakfast. You two come down whenever."

"Mm," Hanna stirred once Ashley shut the door. "Was that my mom?"

"Yeah," Caleb replied. "She's making French toast for breakfast."

"Yum," Hanna muttered, looking up at him. "Are you hungry?"

He nodded and sat up. "Yeah, but I was sort of hoping we could talk for a minute before we go downstairs."

"Oh," she breathed, sitting up next to him against the headboard. "I guess we probably should."

"What's gonna happen for us when I go back to Arizona and you're in New York?" he wondered. "Because I've gotten little spoiled the last couple days and I don't want to lose you again."

Hanna sighed. "Well, Spencer and Toby got engaged yesterday and they're planning a July wedding so I'll be back and forth a lot after graduation. My job with Betsey Johnson doesn't start until August which is good because Spencer wants me to design her dress. What uhh, about you? Will you stay in Arizona?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "I've told my professors who have all the contacts in the world that I'd like to end up back here, preferably in Philly, but we'll see. At this point, I go where the job is."

"Right," she nodded. "Well, regardless of where you end up, this isn't the end of whatever we are. I'd at least like you to be my date for the wedding. It's July Ninth." Tears filled her eyes. "I'm not ready to be in a relationship yet because I'm still working on some stuff with myself but I don't want to be with anyone else. At the same time, I know I can't exactly ask you to wait."

Caleb smiled and looked down at her. "Hanna, I love you so there is no one else for me. And I'll wait for you because I know it's my fault you're dealing with this stuff. I should never have done what I did."

"Stop," she interrupted. "It's not about what you did anymore. It's about me getting over it. I know that I love you; I just have to sort other feelings out first."

"You love me?" he repeated. "You've never said that to me before."

She grinned. "You had to know, right? I mean, my mom said she told you the truth about my ex in New York."

"She did," he confirmed, "but it's nice to hear you say it."

Knowing it was a major risk, Hanna reached up and placed the briefest of kisses on his lips. "Think about _that _while you take your finals."

"Oh, I'll think about that a lot more often than that," he smirked, throwing back the blanket. "Now let's go eat some French toast."

Aria sat on the counter in Ezra's apartment as he graded papers at his desk. "Do you think I should go see my dad before I leave?"

"I think you should if you plan to live there when you're back from LA in a few weeks," he confirmed. "You don't want it to be uncomfortable."

"Well, what if I don't live with them?" she wondered quietly.

He spun in his chair. "Are you and the girls thinking about getting a place? I know Hanna is in New York but is Emily coming home?"

"Emily's getting a one room studio by herself," Aria reported. "Spencer and Toby are still in Connecticut and yes, Hanna is staying in New York so I wouldn't live with them."

Realization hit him. "You want to live here?"

"I'm not saying I'm ready to get back together right this second but I'd like to work towards it," she explained. "I mean, as long as you do."

He eyed her pointedly. "I think we both know how I feel on the subject. And if you want to live here and work on a future together, I'm all for it but there will be rules."

"Rules?" she murmured. "Like what?"

"I'm not sleeping on the couch in my own apartment," he told her with a smile. "That isn't happening. I'm fine with how it was last night. I can share the bed without it being weird but can you do that every night?"

"Yes," she answered. "I mean, it may not stay that way forever anyways, right?"

"But what if it does?" he questioned. "What if we figure out we can't make it work?"

Aria hopped down off the counter. "Why are you suddenly being so negative on the issue? We'll never work things out if you're thinking it might not happen."

He stood up. "Aria, I want it to happen. I've wanted it to happen since it ended last year but we have to be realistic."

"This is ridiculous," she breathed. "Just forget it, okay? I'll go talk to my dad and fix things and stay there. Living together while not being together would probably be disastrous anyways." She walked to his bedroom and returned moments later with her duffel bag. "I'll see you around, Ezra."

"Wait!" he called, following her out to the hallway. "That's it? You're just leaving? We need to talk about this, Aria."

She shook her head. "Not right now. I need to see my parents and you need to decide if you really want to work on us without thinking so pessimistically."

"So you just left?" Hanna said into the phone when Aria called her twenty minutes later. "Aria, you shouldn't have done that. Now what?"

"I don't know," Aria frowned as she walked towards her house. "I want to be with him but he just got so negative. That wasn't what I wanted to hear."

Hanna made a face as she sorted through both her and Caleb's laundry to wash before leaving. "Look, you can't push him away again because of one disagreement though. If any of us are going to make a relationship work—no offense to Spencer and Toby—it's gonna eventually be you and Fitz."

"Well, what about you and Sketchy?" Aria joked. "Did you share a bed with him last night?"

"I did," Hanna confirmed, "but it was nothing sexual. We just slept. And this morning we talked a little before breakfast and right now, I'm doing laundry while he fixes some things around the house for my mom."

Aria smiled. "Sounds like things are definitely going well for you two then."

"Well, it'll depend on where he ends up when he graduates but if he can make it out somewhere relatively near here, I think it'll be a good summer," Hanna grinned. "Caleb makes me happy so why should I keep denying myself happiness because of something that's trivial now and that happened years ago?"

"Exactly," Aria agreed as she reached the end of their shared street. "I'm about to go into my house to talk with my dad so I gotta go. Coffee before we go? I leave at eight-fifteen."

"Sounds good," Hanna said. "Good luck with Byron."

Aria stuck her phone into her purse and made her way into the house. Mike was playing video games in the den while Ella and Byron sat in the kitchen, still reading the paper.

"Hi, sweetie," Ella greeted her. "How was dinner with the girls?"

"It was really nice," Aria told her. "Spencer and Toby are engaged and getting married in three months."

Ella pulled down the edge of her paper to stare at her daughter. "Spencer Hastings is planning an entire wedding in three months? That should be interesting."

"It'll be fun to help her," Aria declared. "And Hanna is making her dress so I know it'll be beautiful. After a funeral, it'll be nice to have a wedding to look forward to."

"Yes," Ella said, "I think you're right." She stood up and cleared the breakfast dishes. "I think I'm going to go for a run."

Aria pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. "Dad, can we talk?"

Byron folded up his paper and looked at her. "Sure."

"I'm coming home in just a few weeks and I don't want to come home to a house where I feel like I have to walk on eggshells around you," she explained. "I don't want you to be so angry at me."

"Aria, I'm not angry," he assured her. "Do I think it was incredibly dangerous for you to date your high school teacher while you were sixteen? Of course I do. But at the same time, you were right—I was in no place to judge you for that. The biggest difference between my affair with Meredith and your relationship with Ezra is that mine was a mistake and yours wasn't. It's just disheartening to know that you never told us. And I know that was because he didn't want you to but I would've appreciated knowing when it happened." He saw the look of sadness on her face. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she whispered. "He and I just had a disagreement this morning and it's kind of bothering me but I'll be okay."

He placed a hand over hers. "Do you want to be with him?"

"Yes," she answered honestly. "I love him, Dad."

"Then be with him," Byron shrugged. "It'll take me some time but like I said, I've always liked Ezra and I know he's a good guy. And Aria, I trust you. I'll come around so don't worry about me."

She scoffed lightly. "It's not you I'm worried about anymore, it's him."

"I saw the way he looked at you yesterday," Byron said. "I don't know what your disagreement was about this morning but I'm sure you can figure it out."

"I hope," she nodded.

At quarter to five, Hanna stood outside the Philadelphia International Airport with Caleb as he prepared for his flight back to Flagstaff.

"I don't want to sound selfish but I really hope you get a job that brings you out here," she told him. "I don't think we'd solve anything with thousands of miles between us."

"I'll fight for it," he promised, taking her into his arms. "I'm gonna make you my girlfriend yet, princess."

She smirked. "Well, we'll see about that. But I'm interested to see you try." She reached up and kissed his cheek. "Have a nice flight."

"Thanks for the ride," he smiled. "Drive safe. And no matter what, I'll see you soon."

Knowing she only had fifteen minutes before she needed to leave for the airport, Aria knocked on Ezra's door and waited for him to answer it. After several moments, she realized he wasn't home so she reached into her purse and pulled out a pad of paper and a pen.

_Ezra-_

_ I'm not giving up on us yet. I'll be home in less than a month and we'll figure it out. I know you want to and I'm finally ready to. I hope the rest of your semester goes well and I'll talk to you soon._

_ Love,_

_ Aria._

She stuck the note under his door and turned to leave, knowing the coming summer was going to be one to really make or break her future.


	7. Chapter 7

**Like I said, this chapter is jumpy because it goes through five different graduation ceremonies in various parts of the country. As always, I love the reviews and alerts so thanks. Much appreciated.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

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><p>Aria sat in her seat between Orion Montague and Drew Muder, waiting for her row to be called for graduation. Somewhere in the crowd of Dodd Hall, she knew her parents and Mike were sitting with Spencer, Emily, and Hanna. Part of her had wanted to invite Ezra but the fear of not knowing if he would show up nearly paralyzed her. The last month of school had been agonizing. She'd spoken to him over the phone some and they'd even done a Skype chat once but she was terrified there was too much disconnect between them to reconcile their relationship.<p>

"We're going," Orion whispered as the proctor motioned for their row to stand up.

The English department at UCLA was smaller than Aria thought it was going to be but the nice thing knew most of her classmates. They'd survived four long years together so she really felt like she was graduating with one hundred and twenty of her closest friends.

"Aria Christine Montgomery, graduating Magna Cum Laude."

With a deep breath, Aria made her way across the stage and as she did, she heard a distinct voice—that of one Hanna Marin—scream out, "Yeah, Aria!" Aria chuckled, shook Dean Fowler's hand, and descended the stairs.

"No tripping!" Drew said happily when the two girls sat down. She hiked up the bottom of her robe to reveal the five-inch heels she was wearing. "I didn't exactly come prepared for such an important walk."

"No, you definitely didn't," Aria chuckled. "You should've been more like me—flats."

Drew rolled her eyes. "Aria, you've known me for three years. I haven't worn flats since I was fourteen so why start now?"

"Touché," Aria smirked.

"So, is that hottie ex-boyfriend of yours here?" Drew wondered. "Laney said she caught you video chatting with him, talking like you were getting back together."

Aria frowned. "We're just talking again. I don't really know what's going on right now."

"Well, figure it out, lady, cause I don't want you to be so unhappy anymore," Drew declared.

After the ceremony ended, Aria hugged several of her fellow graduates on her way outside to meet her family and friends.

"Aria!" Hanna squealed as she, Emily, and Spencer rushed to envelope her into a hug. "Who knew you were such a rock star, Miss Magna Cum Laude?"

"Well, when your four-year relationship ends and you don't have the desire to party, all you can really do is study and work your ass off," Aria shrugged. "Thanks for coming out here though, guys. It really means more than you know."

"Like we'd be anywhere else this weekend," Spencer scoffed. "Besides, at midnight we're making the seven-hour trek to Tucson for Emily's ceremony tomorrow afternoon."

Aria spoke to her friends for a moment longer before breaking away to meet her family.

"Congratulations, sweetie!" Ella cried, hugging her only daughter tightly. "God, I can't believe my baby graduated from college."

Mike made a face. "Uh, what am I?"

"It's different with boys," Byron spoke up, taking his turn to hug her. "I'm so proud of you, Aria. I was worried when you first came out here but you just graduated Magna Cum Laude so what do I know?" He pulled away and held her shoulders in his hands. "So grown up."

"It happens," Aria teased. "One minute I'm putting pink streaks in my hair and the next, I'm twenty-two and graduating from college." She hugged Mike. "Thanks for coming."

Her brother rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't have missed it." He paused. "And I also had no choice."

"Well, thanks for the honesty," Aria grinned.

Ella looked at Aria. "There's someone else who'd like to congratulate you." She looked over Aria's shoulder briefly. "I wasn't sure if you'd invite him but I knew you'd want him here so I called."

Aria turned around and found Ezra standing fifteen feet away, holding a small bouquet of orange roses.

He smiled. "Hi."

"Hi," she whispered, approaching him slowly. "I'm so happy you came."

"Were you afraid I wouldn't?" he wondered.

Before Aria could respond, Byron called over to her friends. "Girls, why don't we give them a little privacy? I'll buy you all some ice cream."

"Sounds good," Hanna agreed as the three girls walked away with the Montgomery's. "It gives me a chance to finally tell Mike what I think of that ugly faux-hawk he's sporting."

Aria and Ezra sat down on the low stone wall behind them and he handed her the flowers.

"These are lovely," she stated. "Thank you."

"You didn't answer my question," he pointed out. "I was so happy to hear from your mom about this because you never mentioned when it was but I didn't want to pry so I never asked."

"The fear of you rejecting the offer forced me to keep quiet," she admitted. "I'm not really sure where we stand so I was afraid you'd say no and I'd feel like an idiot for offering."

He reached for her hand. "I would never have said no. Even if we hadn't spoken when you were home last month, I would've come if you had asked. I love you, Aria."

"Me, too," she nodded. "But that doesn't mean I'm ready to call you my boyfriend again right away. I want to come home and take it slow."

"That's fine," he assured her. "I'll just charm you again like I did when you were sixteen."

Aria laughed. "Well, if you want me to fall for you like I did when I was sixteen, you'll have to grow your hair out some."

"Maybe I will," he mused, standing up. "Come on, let's go find your family; your dad actually offered me dinner."

* * *

><p>Emily's ceremony was shorter than Aria's had been but her graduating class was also significantly smaller. She'd gone to the University of Arizona because of their stellar swim program and after a year of being undecided, she'd declared Gender Studies as her major. It had been eye-opening for her to take courses on homosexuality and the unfairness towards homosexuals in all aspects of life. It made her want to really fight for equality, which was why she was going to work on the campaign of a Pennsylvania politician working towards the US Senate. Reid Kelley was gay himself and when they'd met the previous month, he'd liked her passion for the cause so he'd offered her a job on his campaign, effective as soon as she was back in Rosewood.<p>

"Emily Marie Fields!"

As her name was called, much like Aria's ceremony yesterday, she heard Hanna cheer for her over the applause. She accepted her diploma and finished walking across the stage before taking the steps back to her seat.

"You have a fan club," her neighbor, Gage Fallon, stated.

"My friend, Hanna," Emily smiled. "She's a little outrageous sometimes."

Gage nodded. "I have a few of those but they're all back in North Carolina."

"Well, my friends and I made a pact that we'd go each other's graduation ceremonies," she explained. "We went to one yesterday at UCLA, mine is today, and then we'll have them for the next two weekends at Yale and Parsons."

"An eclectic group," he noted. "I'll miss you, Em."

"We'll keep in touch," she promised. "And I'll definitely come when you and Sierra get married in August."

"Good," he beamed.

"Two down, two to go," Spencer said over dinner that night with the girls. Emily's parents had retired to their hotel for the night.

Aria yawned. "Yeah, but yours is going to be so long and Hanna's will be full of seriously crazy ensembles."

"Parsons encourages its students to design our own robes to showcase our talents," Hanna reported proudly. "It's a real honor because the best end up in the Styles section of the Sunday _Times._"

"Which is why she's been working on hers since February," Emily joked. "She's determined to make that section."

Hanna scoffed. "It's a big deal! If people like my graduation robe, imagine how they'll feel someday when I'm designing clothes they wish they could afford."

"Oh, God," Spencer muttered. "Em, are you excited to work with Reid Kelley? My mom was at a lunch he hosted last week and she said he's gaining a lot of momentum."

Emily sipped her water before answering. "I can't wait. He's really smart and has so many great ideas. It's definitely inspiring."

"Well, Senator Emily Fields does have a nice ring to it," Aria teased. "I could see it someday."

"And I'll design your wardrobe for when you run for president," Hanna added excitedly. "It'll be like when Jackie Kennedy wore Oleg Cassini almost exclusively."

Aria opened her menu. "Hurry, let's order before she starts giving us the history of White House fashion."

* * *

><p>"I assume that if I graduated Magna Cum Laude, Spencer is graduating Summa?" Aria guessed as she followed Toby into one of the event halls on the Yale University campus the following Saturday. "She's a hundred times smarter than I am."<p>

"Spencer is going to have so many sashes and cords, I'll be surprised if her neck doesn't hurt when it's over," he laughed as they—along with Emily and Hanna—found seats behind Spencer's parents, Melissa, and her husband of two years, Heath. "She fought tooth and nail to graduate at the top of her class."

Melissa turned to the younger group. "Aria, Emily, how did your ceremonies go?"

"Smoothly," Emily shrugged. "They were both a lot smaller than this."

"Well, all of us parents are so proud of you girls," Veronica told them. "It'll be nice having you all closer to home again, as well."

As expected, the ceremony for Yale's communications department was long and very drawn out.

"When does Caleb graduate?" Aria whispered to Hanna as the first row of 'A' last names stood up.

"Tomorrow afternoon," Hanna said. "I'm flying out with my mom in the morning to surprise him."

Aria smiled. "That's nice of you and especially of your mom."

"My mom jumped on the Caleb bandwagon when he first left for Arizona and she never really got off," Hanna murmured. "He doesn't exactly have any family so I wanted to make sure he has someone there to root for him."

"I'm glad," Aria said. "I know how happy I was to see Ezra last weekend so I'm sure Caleb will feel pretty similar."

Soon enough it was time for Spencer's row so she stood and waited at the steps for her name to be called.

"Graduating Summa Cum Laude and first in her class, Spencer Noelle Hastings."

With a huge smiled, she walked across the stage, shook hands with the university's president, accepted her diploma, and hurried back to her seat.

Emily nudged Toby discreetly. "I'm not sure who looks happier right now—Spencer or you."

"I'm just really proud of her," Toby explained. "I've been here with her the whole time; I know how hard she's worked for this."

"Well, you're stuck with her for a lifetime now so I guess it's good she still makes you so happy five years later," Emily teased.

Toby appeared almost jubilant. "I'll happily take her."

After what felt like hundreds of pictures with everyone, Spencer excused herself and Toby so they could head back to their apartment to change before a fancy lunch with her parents, sister, and Heath.

"You looked great on that stage," he told her as she unzipped her black robe. "Yale Law isn't going to know what hit them."

She looked at him over her shoulder. "I hope not."

He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "Two months from now, we'll be married."

"I can't wait," she giggled as he placed a trail of kisses across her shoulder. "So far, planning has gone pretty smoothly and Hanna said she's making excellent progress on my dress so I think it'll be one for the books."

"As long as there are no doves, I'd marry you anywhere," he stated.

Spencer turned to wrap her arms around his neck. "You know, we don't have to meet my family for more than two hours."

"Music to my ears," he breathed, leading her backwards to their bed.

* * *

><p>"Do you see him?" Hanna asked Ashley as they surveyed the Northern Arizona University engineering graduates on the gymnasium floor down below.<p>

Ashley shook her head. "No, but he has to be down there somewhere."

After several more minutes, the lights dimmed and the ceremony began. Hanna sat back in her seat, disappointed she couldn't find him. Of the graduations she'd been to, Caleb's was by far the shortest.

"There!" Ashley cried as a row near the back stood up to start for the stage. "Third one in."

Hanna squinted her eyes and smiled at the sight of Caleb in his blue robe.

"Caleb Michael Rivers," the dean called out as Caleb walked towards him for his diploma.

Ashley took several pictures with her camera while Hanna cheered for him, though significantly quieter than she'd been for her friends—she wanted to surprise him after the ceremony.

"Thanks for coming with me," Hanna said when the ceremony ended and she and Ashley made their way out to the courtyard. "It was really nice of you."

"Well, I'm pretty sure I'll call Caleb my son-in-law someday so I wanted to be here," Ashley declared. "He's important to you—despite the current ambiguity of your relationship—so he's important to me."

Hanna watched as the graduates made their way outside moments later. She scanned the crowd for Caleb, looking for his tall frame and long hair. When she saw him talking with two older people she assumed were professors, she couldn't help but sneak up behind him. "Hey."

Hearing that familiar voice cause Caleb to turn so fast he was sure he got whiplash but it didn't matter because she was there, standing right in front of him, thousands of miles from home. "Hanna?"

"I didn't want you to think it wasn't a big deal that you graduated," she told him as he pulled her into his arms. "It's a huge deal, Caleb."

"Thanks," he whispered, holding her tightly. He spotted Ashley. "Your mom came?"

"She's all about Team Caleb," Hanna smirked, pulling away and looking at the two adults. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."

"Quite all right," the woman smiled. "Friend of yours, Caleb?"

Caleb kept one arm wrapped around Hanna's waist. "Best friend. Hanna Marin, this is Julie Granger and Dr. Matthew Hudson. Professor Granger, Dr. Hudson, this is Hanna."

Dr. Hudson shook her hand. "So you're the girl Caleb's hoping to get back east for?"

"I guess so," Hanna blushed, a bit embarrassed that Caleb's professors knew that.

"Well, I hope you make the most of it then," Professor Granger said. "Caleb, congratulations and good luck in Philadelphia."

As soon as Professor Granger and Dr. Hudson excused themselves, Hanna turned to Caleb. "Philadelphia?"

"Yeah," he confirmed. "Dr. Hudson really came through for me and got me a job with a friend of his that works at Penn. I'll be working in the engineering department, doing research for preventative measures on hacking."

Hanna scoffed. "So you'll be working to put an end to your high school cash flow?"

"Something like that," he nodded, hugging her again. "You have no idea how much it means to me that you guys came. I'm so happy to see you."

"Me, too," she breathed, taking in his familiar scent. "Now, ditch the robe cause my mom is taking us to lunch."

* * *

><p>"Oh, thank God this is the last one," Emily muttered as she, Aria, and Spencer took their seats for Hanna's graduation. "I'm so tired of sitting through graduation ceremonies."<p>

Aria hit her leg. "Hanna was so excited for all of us so we owe her the same courtesy."

"You know I'm happy for her," Emily clarified. "Trust me, I thought my own graduation was awful. They're just so long and boring."

"Well, Spencer's definitely took the cake on the 'long' part," Aria chuckled. "I couldn't believe the number of communications majors at Yale."

"It's a good stepping stone to law school," Spencer reasoned. "You speak a lot in court so all those speech classes really pay off."

Emily nodded to the aisle. "Look. I think Caleb is meeting Mr. Marin for the first time."

Ashley gestured to Caleb. "Tom, this is Caleb Rivers, Hanna's um, friend? I don't really know at this point. Caleb, this is Hanna's father, Tom Marin."

Caleb held out a hand. "It's nice to meet you, sir."

Tom offered a firm handshake. "Caleb, huh? Aren't you the boy who broke her heart in high school?"

"Tom," Ashley warned quietly. "This is not the time for you to play the 'scary dad' role. Hanna is an adult now and she's forgiven what happened five years ago. I know Caleb and he's a good guy."

"I am, sir," Caleb agreed. "I promise that I can take good care of Hanna."

"We'll see about that," Tom muttered, going to his seat in front of the girls.

Caleb eyed Aria nervously as he sat on the other side of Ashley and Aria shrugged sympathetically.

"You know we're going to have to go crazy for her, right?" Spencer mused as the fashion show-like ceremony began. "She screamed loud enough by herself for all of us so we could hear her."

"You're right," Emily said.

When it came time for Hanna to make her walk across the stage, she looked out into the crowd at the group there for her and smiled seeing Caleb with her parents. She was sure his introduction to her father had been tense and even though she and Tom weren't exactly on pleasant terms, part of her was happy they'd met.

"Graduating with a job offer from Betsey Johnson in the fall, Hanna Elise Marin."

Wearing her impeccably designed graduation robe—which she'd worked into a very fashionable tunic—Hanna accepted her degree and beamed as Aria, Spencer, and Emily all stood up, cheering and whistling loudly.

"You guys," she mused when she found them in the hallway thirty minutes later. "That was so sweet."

"Well, you deserved it," Aria spoke up, hugging her best friend. "And of all the robes I saw, yours is definitely making the _Times. _If it weren't for the material, I'd wear that."

Spencer stepped forward for her hug. "Aria's right. Seeing that robe gives me total comfort that my wedding dress is going to be beyond what I even expect."

Emily hugged Hanna next. "Hanna Marin, our little fashion designer extraordinaire."

Hanna looked to her parents and hugged Ashley first. "Thank you, Mom, for everything."

"Like I've always said, you're my baby girl," Ashley told her as she fought back tears. "Be nice to Caleb; your dad was a little rough on him."

"Hi, Dad," Hanna greeted her father formerly. "Thanks for coming."

Tom smiled proudly. "Where else would I be?"

"Almost anywhere," Hanna mumbled under her breath. "I see you met Caleb."

"I did," Tom responded coolly.

Hanna smiled at Caleb as he took her into his arms. "His opinion of you has zero effect on me."

"Good to know," Caleb laughed.

Spencer turned to her three best friends and raised an eyebrow mischievously. "Think Rosewood is ready for us to be back for an entire summer together?"

Aria linked her arms through Spencer's and Emily's as they all walked towards the doors. "Not a chance."

"Ladies, let's raise a little hell," Hanna suggested. "That place could probably use it after all these years we've been away."


	8. Chapter 8

**I finally got into my usual groove of taking three or four days to update. Don't worry, I will definitely keep going. I like writing this story a lot because I like writing about Ezria and Haleb. I'm also excited to get into wedding stuff, as well. And I've decided I think I'm gonna bring Samara back in for Emily. I was unsure how I felt about her but she's really stepped it up in the last couple episode so she wins. Hanna's New York friend will appear but it will be brief. As always, thanks so much to the reviewers. If you're reading and not reviewing, would one kill you? Haha. I just like to know what everyone is thinking. Thanks so much.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

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><p>Aria wasn't surprised to find the Hastings barn in total chaos when she walked in the Friday morning after Hanna's graduation. Spencer had set up Operation: Wedding there and there were potential floral arrangements and catering samples everywhere.<p>

"Excuse the mess," Veronica called out as she walked in behind Aria, carrying a bag of what appeared to be ribbons and bows. "I think it finally hit Spencer this week that planning a wedding in three months is a bit much."

"Well, if anyone can do it, it's Spencer," Aria laughed.

"Spencer!" Veronica yelled. "Aria is here!"

Spencer popped up from behind a mountain of candles. "Hey. Sorry about all this."

"Totally fine," Aria assured her, finding a space to sit down on the couch. "I'm sorry I've been so busy moving back all week."

Spencer waited until her mom left before speaking again. "So you're really going to live at home? What about Mr. Fit—uhh, Ezra?"

"Things with Ezra are good," Aria replied. "We're sort of taking it slow but I think we're getting back on track. We're having dinner tonight."

"And your parents?" Spencer wondered. "They're doing okay with all of it? Dinner after your graduation was a bit awkward."

Aria remembered that night and laughed. "Yeah, it was uncomfortable but you guys were great. I think it helped ease his mind a little bit that you, Hanna, and Emily were so nice and accepting."

"Well, we've known since we were sixteen," Spencer smirked. "It wasn't so hard for us."

"Right," Aria breathed. "So, what can I do today?"

Spencer checked her watch. "Well, Toby is in Hartford until five because of work and I have a tasting at the bakery. Want to join me?"

"Free cake?" Aria laughed. "Like I'd say no."

When the girls reached Patty's Cakes on Main Street, Emily—who'd agreed to meet them on her lunch break from the campaign—was already there.

"Hey," she smiled, standing up from the bench she was waiting on outside. "Aria, Ezra just went inside. Is he um, meeting us?"

Aria looked into the shop in confusion. "No. I didn't even tell him I was going to be with Spencer today."

"Well, let's see what he's doing," Spencer suggested, pulling back the door.

"Oh, hey," Ezra grinned upon spotting Aria. "What are you all doing here?"

"Cake tasting," Aria replied. "You?"

He held up a box of what appeared to be cookies. "Faculty cookout tomorrow and I somehow ended up on dessert duty. Apparently no one at Hollis knows I don't exactly cook."

"Not well anyways," Aria teased. "We're still on for tonight, right?"

"Of course," Ezra confirmed, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "I'll pick you up at seven," he added, making his way to the door. "Ladies, enjoy your afternoon."

Emily smirked as soon as he was gone. "You're totally going to marry him."

"Em," Aria muttered, eyeing the various cakes and cookies. "He and I are just getting back on track. It's way early for the marriage talk."

Spencer shrugged as she rejoined them from speaking with the owner for her appointment. "Not really. I mean, if you hadn't spent the last year apart, this appointment could be yours instead of mine."

Aria was quiet as the owner wheeled out a cart full of cake samples for the girls to test. She would never admit this to the girls, despite their best friend status, but she'd considered Spencer's statement. If things with Ezra hadn't blown up last year, she was almost positive he'd have proposed by now. They'd always talked about getting married when she finished her undergrad and now, three weeks out of college, they were going on their first date in a year and a half. It hurt knowing they'd spent so much time apart but she was happy he was back in her life.

"Earth to Aria," Spencer said a few minutes later, waving a hand in her friend's face. "What do you think of this one?"

"Oh, sorry," Aria apologized, taking a quick bite of the cake Emily had shoved in front of her. "Um, it's not bad. I think it might be a little too sophisticated for kids though. I doubt Taylor or Mason would care much for an apple spice cake."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Spencer agreed. "Can we try the marble with the chocolate icing? Toby's cake tastes are pretty basic, as well."

After another forty-five minutes, Emily had to get back to the campaign offices and Spencer had decided on the marble cake.

"So, even though Hanna is making my dress, I think I'm going to let you guys pick out your own," Spencer declared as she and Aria walked down Main Street. "I'm thinking same dress, different colors."

"I like when bridesmaids don't match," Aria told her. "It's whimsical."

Spencer smirked. "Well, I'm not sure I'm going for whimsical so much as I'd like pretty." She paused. "Besides, Melissa would never match you three so I'm thinking I'll put her in lavender, you in a sort of mosaic blue, Emily will wear yellow, and Hanna's dress will be coral. I already saw the dress I like at the Valerie Snow shop on Braxton a few days ago so I'm hoping we can all make it over there on Monday."

"I start my job at the bookstore on Monday but I get off at four so if it's after that, I should be fine. It's Hanna you'll have to worry about because she'll be coming from New York."

"When's the last time you talked to Hanna?" Spencer wondered.

"Um, Wednesday afternoon?" Aria guessed, trying to remember. "Why?"

Spencer rolled her eyes as she put on her classic Ralph Lauren sunglasses. "Hanna impulsively decided to sublet her apartment in the city for a couple months while she stays with her mom."

"What?" Aria breathed. "She loves her place in Soho."

"True," Spencer nodded, "but she also loves a certain boy living in a studio apartment only twenty-five minutes away in Philadelphia."

Aria shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe she gave up Manhattan for Caleb."

"The things a girl will do for love," Spencer sighed. "Although those two are just as ambiguous these days as you and Ezra."

"Okay, moving on," Aria chuckled. "Why don't we stop at the florist on the way home? The arrangements in the barn are looking a little too traditional."

At seven o'clock, Ezra parked his Toyota in front of Aria's house and made his way up to the front door. He took a deep breath and knocked, hoping for Aria or at least Ella to answer. Unfortunately, it was not his lucky day.

"Hello, Ezra," Byron greeted him, pulling back the door to let Ezra inside.

"Mr. Montgomery," Ezra murmured, shaking his hand.

Byron cleared his throat. "You can call me Byron. Aria, Ezra is here!"

Aria put the finishing touches on her makeup and hurried out of her room, hoping to save Ezra from her dad's harsh stares.

"Hi," she smiled, reaching the bottom of the stairs. "Ready?"

"Yes," Ezra nodded, holding out a hand. "You look nice."

"Thanks," she beamed. "Bye, Dad."

Once they were outside, Ezra opened the passenger side door for her. "Well, he didn't squeeze too hard when we shook hands."

"An improvement," she teased. "God, I really need to beg Emily to let me crash on her couch or something. Being twenty-two and living with my parents is so lame, especially when you come to pick me up and my dad answers the door."

"Are you planning to stay at home when you start at Penn in the fall?" he wondered as he started the car.

"Unfortunately," she grumbled. "I considered living in Philadelphia but I did four years away in California and while it was nice, I'm glad to be home."

"I'm happy to have you home," Ezra added as he drove towards an old Italian restaurant they'd always liked just outside of Rosewood. "And once you and I get firmly back on track, you know I want you to move in."

Aria smiled at him. "So now you're confident we'll figure this out?"

"I always have been," he assured her. "I just didn't want to overwhelm you. We hadn't spoken in so long that I was afraid that if I got down on my knees and begged—which I momentarily considered—you'd think I was crazy."

She reached for his free hand. "You're not crazy."

"Good to know," he laughed.

Hanna stood in the living room section of Caleb's Philadelphia apartment and cringed at the sight of his plaid couch. "Do you know how lucky you are to know me?"

"Well, I do," he stated, "but I'm curious to see where that statement is going."

"You can't live like this," she scoffed. "It's disgusting."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why, thank you?"

"I just mean that it's all so mismatched and kind of dirty," she explained. "Can I help you do some redecorating?"

"You mean, can _you_ redecorate while I sit back and pay for it?" he smirked knowingly, leaning against his kitchen counter. "I guess that depends on what you plan to do."

"Well, first order of business would be to get rid of this ratty couch," she stated. "And you need better lamps. That desk is about to fall apart and your bedding is ugly. The hardwood floors are nice but they need to be scrubbed and a cool rug wouldn't hurt."

Caleb sighed. "I have a bad feeling a shopping trip is in my near future."

"We'll just go to IKEA," she decided. "It's decent future, a little funky, and it's reasonably priced. I don't think you're quite ready for an Ethan Allen yet."

"I don't even know what that is," he admitted, walking over to settle on his couch. "Can't we just relax for a little while? You already organized all my clothes today."

She sat down next to him and propped her feet up across his lap. "You're right. I think I deserve a foot massage."

"Oh, yeah?" he mused, rubbing her feet. "I didn't ask you to do it."

"But you needed it," she smiled, closing her eyes. "You have so much extra space now."

He laughed. "So that IKEA trip will probably also take me to the mall then, huh?"

"No," she shook her head. "I'll need somewhere to put my stuff, too. We may not exactly be a couple but we're not _not_ a couple either. I don't want to drive back and forth from Rosewood all the time for clothes."

"Take all the room you need," he offered. "I'll do anything to have you here as often as possible."

Hanna yawned and removed her feet from his lap to crawl up and lie next to him. "Sounds good to me but for now, I just want to take a nap."

"Done," he agreed, wrapping an arm around her.

"Their food is always incredible," Aria gushed when she and Ezra left the restaurant later that night. "And they give you so much."

He grinned as they walked to his car. "That's the best part."

"So, what now?" she wondered. "It's only nine."

"I was thinking we could go back to my place and watch a movie," he suggested. "I rented a couple you might like."

She climbed into the passenger seat. "What did you get?"

"Um, I have _A Philadelphia Story, Kramer vs. Kramer, _and—a personal favorite—_To Kill a Mockingbird_," he recited.

"Do you even have to ask?" she smirked. "I haven't watched that in so long but I still can't believe you don't own it."

"I never think to buy movies," he shrugged. "I'd rather spend money on books."

"Nerd," she teased as he drove out of the parking lot.

When they arrived back his apartment, Aria kicked off her heels and, without thinking, pulled on one of his old Hollis sweatshirts to combat the perpetual cold of his studio.

"Sorry," she apologized when she caught him watching her. "It's a habit I can't seem to kick."

"I don't want you to," he murmured, putting the disc into the DVD player. "I like seeing you in my clothes; it makes it all seem real again."

"It is real," she said as they sat down on the leather sofa. "We just have to ease back into it."

Ezra wrapped an arm around her. "I'm not letting you go again, Aria."

"Good," she breathed, leaning into him, "cause I'm not going anywhere."


	9. Chapter 9

**No Hanna/Caleb in this chapter. It's mentioned and they'll kick off the next chapter but I really just wanted to end on Ezria; I know how popular they are and I just really love them. As always, thanks for the reviews. They're wonderful to read. **

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

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><p>Spencer sat in the sitting area of the Valerie Snow shop early Monday evening, waiting for Melissa and her friends to emerge in the four potential dresses she'd chosen for them to wear in her wedding. Before the appointment, Spencer had been sure of the dress she wanted for them but upon arriving, she'd discovered several others that she liked so she'd insisted each girl try on at least two for her to consider.<p>

"Spencer, this dress is hideous," Melissa declared, emerging from her room first. "It makes me look shorter so imagine what it will do on Aria."

"Hey!" Aria cried from two doors over. "I've grown a little."

"Wearing higher heels doesn't count as growing," Hanna teased in room between Melissa and Aria.

Spencer stood up to eye the dress Melissa had on. It was form-fitting and one-shouldered with a hem that ended at the knee. The fabric was all wrong and it hugged Melissa in all the wrong places.

"You're right," she finally decided. "The length is bad and shiny satin doesn't look good on anyone."

Emily's door opened next and she stepped out in a scoop-neck dress with pleats and pockets—a bad combination. "No offense, Spencer, but I don't think this dress is very flattering."

"It isn't," Melissa spoke up. "Pleats and pockets? Who designs something like that?"

Hanna stuck her head out to see the disaster. "Oh, that dress has Henry Roth written all over it."

"It _is _Henry Roth," Spencer confirmed. "It's incredible you can tell by just looking at it."

"We did half a semester on weddings in one of my classes at Parsons," Hanna explained. "His name came up quite a bit for bizarre bridesmaid designs."

Aria came out next, wearing the original dress Spencer had envisioned. "I know we haven't seen everything yet but I really like this dress. It's simple and perfect for summer and it comes in all those colors you talked about."

Hanna turned her attention to Aria's dress. It was a light chiffon material, with a sweetheart neckline and A-line skirt that fell just above the knees. "I'm thinking Melissa Sweet?"

"Yeah," Spencer nodded, walking around Aria. "I do really like this one."

"It's usually best to go with your gut instinct," Emily advised. "It's a really pretty dress and it would probably compliment all of us."

"Hanna?" Spencer questioned. "What do you think?"

Hanna, wearing a boring number by Vera Wang, stepped out and eyed the dress critically. "It's well-made and the fabric is flattering. It will breathe easily in the heat and it elongates Aria's short torso. I'd say if you're going to pick a dress that looks good on all of us, that's probably it." She looked down at the dress she was wearing. "This is too plain and the other one you gave me has tulle. Tulle in the summer is a death sentence."

Spencer looked down at her five-year-old niece, Taylor, who'd been looking back and forth at all the girls in awe. "What do you think, Tay? Do you like Aria's dress?"

"Yes," Taylor nodded emphatically. "It's so pretty, Aunt Spencer."

"Well, if it's good enough for Taylor, it's good enough for me," Spencer smiled. "Is everyone okay with this one?"

Melissa picked up her daughter. "Yes."

An hour later, after taking all their measurements, the girls left the shop and stood in front of the store to say their goodbyes.

"I'm heading up to Philadelphia for the night," Hanna told them, checking her watch. "Caleb is cooking me dinner and I'll need to be there in case he burns the place down."

"Such faith you have in him," Aria teased. "I'm supposed to help my mom sort through old stuff from the attic but I'm hoping to sneak away to Ezra's at some point. I haven't seen him since our date Friday."

Spencer frowned. "I'm sorry. I guess I did keep you all busy with wedding stuff all weekend."

"Its fine," Aria assured her. "It's probably good for us to have some time apart; it makes me miss him more."

Melissa rolled her eyes. "Okay, that's my cue. I need to get Taylor home for dinner so Spence, I'll see you Wednesday morning for the meeting with the caterer. Say goodnight, Tay."

"Goodnight!" Taylor said, waving to all the girls. "Love you, Aunt Spence."

"Love you, too," Spencer grinned as Melissa and Taylor walked away to Melissa's Mercedes.

"She's a riot," Hanna grinned. "And she looks exactly like Melissa."

Spencer frowned. "Thank God. Can you imagine if she'd come out looking like Ian?"

"Ugh," Emily shuddered. "That's not something I want to think about."

"Oh, Em, I totally forgot!" Hanna cried. "You remember Lizzie, my neighbor in New York I was telling you about? She's coming to Philadelphia to visit her grandparents this weekend so I was thinking it might be the perfect time for you to meet her."

Emily sighed. "I don't know, Hanna. I hate the idea of blind dates and I'm so busy at the campaign office. Reid has appearances all week."

"Please?" Hanna begged. "If you don't like her, I'll never set you up again."

"It wouldn't kill you," Aria added. "Maybe you'll meet someone you really like."

"Fine," Emily agreed. "But you have to be there. I don't care if you bring Caleb along but I'm not going alone."

Hanna beamed. "Excellent. I'll get in touch with Lizzie and set it up for Saturday night."

Spencer checked her watch. "I'm heading to New Haven tonight so I should get on the road."

"Yeah, I'm having dinner with my parents so I should go, too," Emily agreed. "I'll see you guys later and Hanna, just let me know about this weekend."

After leaving the girls, Aria headed to her house but was surprised to find that it was empty.

_"Hi, sweetie," _Ella's voice came through when Aria checked the answering machine. _"Mike left this afternoon for a camping trip with his lacrosse friends and I know you're helping Spencer all week so your dad and I decided to take a little vacation ourselves. We're just heading to the Pocono's until Saturday. I hope you don't mind being by yourself, though I'm sure you won't be. Be safe and we'll do the attic stuff when we get back. Love you." _

"Thanks for the warning," Aria scoffed, setting her purse down on the bench next to the phone table. She dug through it until she found her cell phone.

"Hey," Ezra answered after the second ring. "I thought you were doing stuff with your mom tonight?"

Aria opened the refrigerator to find something for dinner. "Yeah, so did I, but it turns out she and my dad are in the Pocono's until Friday now while Mike is camping with his friends."

"Well, do you want to stay here while they're all away?" he offered. "I don't like the idea of you being home alone for three days."

"No?" she mused, settling for a salad. "Actually, what if you stayed over here with me? You know I love your apartment but it might be nice to have some extra room."

He smirked. "You want me to stay with you in your parents' house? I'm not sure they would like that."

"My mom practically implied she knew it would happen," Aria stated, thinking back to Ella's message. "It's not like I'm going to call and ask their permission anyways. It just might be nice for us to have a change of scenery. You never got to hang out here while we were together so we can make up for lost time."

"Okay," he agreed. "I can be there in twenty minutes."

Aria ended the call and raced upstairs to her bedroom to make sure it was clean and nothing would embarrass her. She picked dirty clothes up off the floor and threw them into the hallway hamper and tossed empty coffee cups into the garbage can under her desk. She made her bed and kicked various shoes into her closet. She then changed out of her dress and vest combo into a pair of yoga pants and a white tank top.

"Wait, he's staying with you at your house?" Hanna said when Aria called her moments later. "What happened to us both taking baby steps?"

"Says the girl who drives to Philly just about every night of the week now," Aria shot back. "Don't pretend like you're not sleeping with him."

"I'm not," Hanna answered honestly. "We mostly just have dinner, hang out, and go to bed. I like being with him but I'm not jumping blindly back into it. Caleb's still got some wooing to do. I think you need to make Fitz do the same."

Aria scoffed as she went back downstairs to put the salad back in the fridge. "I am. He and I haven't slept together either, though I haven't seen him as much as you've seen Caleb, despite living in the same town."

"Do you think that if you two can survive the next few days, you'll move in with him?" Hanna wondered as she drove on the highway towards Philadelphia.

"I don't know," Aria admitted. "It's always on my mind but I'm not letting it cast a shadow over us; I don't like the pressure."

Hanna smiled. "I'm glad you two are working this out though. You're much happier with him in your life."

"What about you?" Aria asked. "Are you happier with Caleb?"

"I am," Hanna said, "but we didn't date for four-and-a-half-years."

"Yeah, yeah," Aria deadpanned. "Have fun in Philly tonight. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Ezra sat in his car outside the Montgomery house a little longer than he anticipated. He'd been in the house several times but it was usually for faculty functions Byron was always hosting. Spending the next couple of days alone with Aria pleased him but he felt a little weird staying in her parents' house, knowing they were still getting used to the fact that he'd dated their daughter behind their backs for years.

"You know, she _is_ expecting you in there," Emily called from the sidewalk across the street during her nightly post-dinner jog.

He looked over at her. "I know. I'm going."

"I saw her parents packing up their car for a trip so I imagine we won't see you or Aria for a couple days," Emily joked. "Have fun."

"Bye, Emily," he muttered as she ran off.

By the time he found the courage to go inside, Aria was waiting for him at the door.

"I've been standing here for like, five minutes," she smirked, letting him inside. "I promise you, my parents are not here and they'll never know you were."

"It's just weird," he admitted, setting his stuff down. "This is your parents' house and I'm going to sleep here."

Aria rolled her eyes and walked to the kitchen. "Stop having a panic attack; you're twenty-nine-years-old."

"If you say so," he muttered, looking around. "You know, I've only ever seen your bedroom that one time when you were in high school and Jackie showed up for my first Hollis mixer here."

"Is that your not-so-subtle way of saying you want to see my room?" she smirked, handing him a bottle of water from the fridge.

He shrugged. "Well, I imagine that's where we'll sleep so I should probably see it at some point."

"Oh, you're sleeping in my parents' room," she said, leading him up the stairs.

"Uh, what?" he breathed, stopping in his tracks.

"Ezra, relax," she laughed, knowing he'd frozen. "I would never make you do that. You really need to calm down about this; it is fine."

He let out a deep breath. "You're right. The next few days are going to be good for us."

"Exactly," she nodded, opening her bedroom door. "We haven't cohabitated since before Thanksgiving of my junior year and even when we did, it was only a night or two that you could get out to LA. This is going to be four nights."

Ezra looked around her room, taking it all in. Every part of it, from the things on the desk to the bedding to the artsy rug, told him the room could be no one but Aria's. It instantly felt perfectly normal for him to be there, despite the fact that it was in her parents' house. "Your room is very you."

"I spent a lot of time on it in high school," she said, sitting on the edge of her bed. "I went through a lot of phases."

"Yeah, I've seen the pictures," he smiled, thinking about the photos she'd shown him of her pink hair. "I think you captured you very well."

"Thanks," she grinned as he sat down next to her. "So, are you hungry? I can cook or we can order in or we coul—,"

Ezra cut her off mid-word by kissing her. It was their first real kiss in more than sixteen months and it was perfect. Neither was quite ready to take it any further but it was a good reconciliation kiss.

"I'm sorry," he apologized when they pulled away. "I saw a window of opportunity and I took it."

"It's fine," she assured him. "If I were mad or didn't want you to do it, I would've pushed you away."

She stood up and silently walked out into the hallway, heading for the stairs. Ezra dropped his head into his hands, sure he'd blown it until her head popped appeared in the doorframe, a sly smile on her face. "Well, are we eating or not?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry it's taken me so long to update. I promise I'll try to start working faster; I just don't want to write crap for the sake of updating. I think you'd prefer that, too. As always, I appreciate the reviews and feedback. You're the reason I'm motivated to write. Thanks.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

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><p>Hanna woke up Tuesday morning to the sound of an old White Stripes song coming from Caleb's workspace in the studio. She sat up in his bed and yawned. "What are you doing?"<p>

"Working," he called over his bare shoulder as he typed furiously on his computer. "I don't have to go into the lab today but I'd like to finish up some stuff before you drag me to IKEA."

"Don't act like it's going to be so horrible," she sighed, crawling out of bed. "We know what we need so I won't have to look at everything."

"Princess, when have you _ever_ gone into any shopping experience without looking at everything?" he teased. "It'll be fine. I just need another hour."

Hanna walked to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. "An hour?"

"What, not enough time for you to get ready?" Caleb smirked. "I can give you two if I have to."

She threw an empty plastic cup across the room at him. "Ass." She walked over and stood behind him. "What are you working on?"

"Do you really want to hear about my work?" he asked. "When I used to explain things I did to phones in high school, you zoned out before I finished a sentence."

"I'm just trying to be supportive," she told him. "It's not like you're dying to know what I'll do at Betsey Johnson."

Caleb sighed and spun away from the desk. "Tell me. What is it you'll be doing at Betsey Johnson?"

"Working with her design team on the spring line," she answered, sitting down on the coffee table. "She knows I excel in designing dresses and skirts so I'll be designing them for her label."

"That sounds like it's important," he stated. "Your clothes will be in stores and stuff then, right?"

"And at Fashion Week," she confirmed. "And if they're really good, celebrities will want to wear what I design."

"But won't it be her name on the clothes?" he asked. "No one will know it's you."

She smirked. "The important people will. Everyone deeply enough in the industry knows it's rare for the designer to actually design the clothes anymore; they have a team. It's good to start with someone as influential as Betsey because it gets my name out there so one day, when I decide to start my own label, people will follow me."

"I'm sure they will," he said.

"Now it's your turn," she declared. "What about your job?"

Caleb sighed. "Right now I'm working on an anti-virus program for the labs that will also prevent hackers from breaking into the system. It's a real bitch and I'm afraid it's going to be really time consuming."

Hanna shrugged. "Maybe that'll be good. If I'm here all the time, I won't finish Spencer's dress and I have a deadline. If you're busy working, I can work on her wedding gown and no one gets in trouble. Your boss praises you and Spencer doesn't kill me."

"But where will that leave us?" he wondered.

"Still figuring things out," she answered. "Same thing we're doing now." She stood up. "Now, you finish your work and I'll shower."

Aria found Ezra in the kitchen Tuesday morning, working tirelessly at the stove. "Should I find the fire extinguisher, just in case?"

"Don't mock," he said, waving a rubber spatula at her. "I'm being nice."

"Yes, you are," she agreed, settling in at the kitchen table. "What are we having?"

"Pancakes," he told her. "I know they're your favorite."

Aria yawned. "They are. Is there coffee?"

"I'm already making you breakfast," he scoffed. "Now you expect me to bring you your coffee, too?"

"I sure do," she confirmed with a grin. "Please?"

Ezra sighed and poured her a cup from the coffeemaker next to him. "Only because you're cute."

"Uh-huh," Aria deadpanned. "So, Mr. Fitz, what are our plans for the day? I have the day off from the bookstore."

"Well, I read in the paper that _It Happened One Night_ is playing at the theater so I was thinking we could see that at one and then grab a late lunch," he stated as he set a plate in front of her. "Or we can check out the town fair."

Aria considered the options. Spending the afternoon in a dark theater with Ezra was certainly appealing but it was so nice out that she didn't want to waste a day inside; she was going to be with him regardless.

"Let's go to the fair," she decided. "I think it'll be nice to be out and about. Emily said they're setting up a booth for Reid Kelley so she'll be there. If Spencer can screw her head back on from all the wedding chaos, she'll probably stop by. Hanna is spending the day with Caleb in Philly so she's occupied but I think it'll be fun. We never really did much together in town."

Ezra knew it would be a big step and they'd probably run into plenty of people who would question them but he didn't care anymore. All he wanted was for Aria to officially take him back and move in with him so if she wanted to go to the fair, so did he.

"Sounds good," he smiled.

The fair was set-up in and around the town square and was mostly for kids or people looking to advertise something or other but Aria had always loved it when she was young and as teenagers, she and her friends often caused a lot of trouble and mayhem there.

"Aria Montgomery!"

Aria, who was walking past stalls with her hand firmly clasped in Ezra's, turned slowly to face a very pregnant Mona Vanderwaal. "Hi, Mona."

Mona looked pointedly at Aria and Ezra's hands. "What's this?"

"Not really any of your business," Aria replied.

"Aria, you're holding our old English teacher's hand at the town fair," Mona stated. "It's a little weird. Though, now that I think about it, Noel did once say that Mr. Fitz was having a thing with a student when he was at Rosewood. Was that you or did this happen later?"

Ezra tensed at mention of Noel Khan. "Noel was always butting his nose into places it didn't belong."

Mona held up her hand. "That's my husband you're talking about."

"Well, I'm sorry but I'm no longer required to hide my feelings about your husband," Ezra said. "I don't like the guy and I never did."

"That's because you were threatened by me," Noel spoke up behind them. "You were afraid Aria was going to choose me instead of you."

Ezra waited until Noel was in front of him before speaking. "How'd that work out for you? I got the girl of my dreams and you settled for your second choice."

"Ezra," Aria whispered in near shock, pulling him away. "See you guys later."

"I'm sorry," Ezra apologized as soon as they were out of earshot from the Khan's. "The guy just grates my nerves."

Aria laughed. "I know that. I'm not his biggest fan either but it's been four years since I last saw him and I'm over it. He's always going to be weird and petty but it shouldn't bother you anymore."

"You're right," he agreed. "Let's forget him and find your friends."

Caleb frowned as he followed Hanna through IKEA that afternoon, cringing every time she stopped to critique a couch. They'd taken care of the desk, rug, and lamps but she was having a hard time finding a couch she liked and bedding that didn't make her sick to her stomach. He'd forgotten how exhausting it was to shop with her.

"How much longer?" he groaned as she sat on a gray sofa. "We've been here for two hours and I'm starving."

"You're the one who skipped breakfast to work," she reminded him, bouncing around on the cushions. "I even offered to fry you an egg."

"Whatever," he sighed, sitting down next to her. "This one is fine."

"Fine?" she repeated. "The couch is the focal point in your apartment so 'fine' isn't going to cut it, Rivers. It doesn't really seem to be your style."

"_My _style?" he scoffed. "Everything we've picked out today has been chosen by you. I agree because I want to get outta here as soon as possible."

She glared at him and stood up. "Why are you being so difficult? If you really didn't want to do this, you could've told me."

"I just wanted to spend time with you and I know you wanted to," he reasoned. "I just didn't realize picking out a few things would take all day."

Hanna softened as his admittance to wanting to spend time with her. She looped her arm through his and led him away from the gray couch. "I'm sorry. I get a little frazzled when I shop and I lose sight of what we're looking for. Your apartment is sort of modern-looking so I'm trying to match that."

Caleb looked around the showroom and spotted a red suede couch several rows over. "That one. I like that couch right there."

She followed his gaze and walked over to inspect it. The material was soft and the color was vibrant. She sat down and pulled him with her. "This one, huh?"

"Uh-huh," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her softly. "I think it has serious potential."

"Okay," she breathed. "We'll get it."

Twenty minutes—and a black and gray bed-set—later, Caleb had never been so happy to fork over his credit card.

"Your girlfriend has nice taste," the cashier grinned as she handed Caleb the receipt to sign.

"Thank you," Hanna smirked. "He often doubts me."

Caleb kept quiet. He wasn't sure if Hanna heard the woman use the g-word but he wasn't going to make a big deal of it if she wasn't.

"So thanks for picking out this stuff," he said as they walked to the truck he'd borrowed from his boss to haul his stuff.

"No problem, _boyfriend_," she teased. "Yes, I heard her."

"But you didn't correct her," he pointed out.

She sighed. "Why fight the inevitable? In my head, I think of you as my boyfriend so why shouldn't everyone?"

He pulled her to him and kissed her. "So can I make it Facebook official? You know it doesn't count until it's confirmed by social media," he added jokingly.

"Oh, stop," she muttered, pushing him away. "Come on, I wanna eat."

After meeting Reid Kelley and chatting with Spencer and her mother for a bit, Aria and Ezra left the fair without anymore run-ins with Mona and Noel or any former students for that matter.

"See?" she beamed as they walked to his car. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Nope," he denied. "In fact, it was even a little fun."

"I used to love it when I was a kid," she admitted, buckling her seatbelt. "It was magical at night, with all the lights and the rides. I felt like Rosewood was another planet for a few hours."

Ezra smiled at her. "I'm glad we came then, if it reminded you of being a kid again."

They drove in a comfortable silence back to her house and made their way inside.

"I'm gonna make lunch," she decided. "I'm thinking just grilled cheese and macaroni, if that's okay."

He nodded. "Sounds good. I'm gonna run upstairs to change this shirt; it's too hot for long-sleeves."

While Ezra went up to her bedroom, Aria mindlessly got out the cooking equipment she needed to make their lunch. Their day together had been nearly perfect and Aria remembered all the things she loved about him—he was funny and smart and quietly acerbic and he made her feel good about herself. When she was with him, nothing else around her mattered; for the most part, it never had. She set the pan on the counter and raced to the stairs.

"Aria?" he asked when she burst into her room.

She closed the gap between them and kissed him, pushing him back towards her bed. "I love you, Ezra."

"Are you sure you wanna do this right now?" he breathed, reaching for the tie of her halter top. "We don't have to rush."

"Ezra," she whispered as she kissed his neck. "Just shut up."


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm back. I thought this one would be on hold for a while but four of my best friends are all engaged (one is getting married in two weeks) and it's been Wedding Central around me lately so I found inspiration; it's just a tad shorter than poker night that is established for the guys is an idea I stole from an interview Ian Harding, Keegan Allen, and Tyler Blackburn did for Cambio back in June; they said it would never happen on the show but in this alternate future, it does. Let me know if you want a chapter dedicated to what goes on when they all get together for it. Also, in my profile I linked photos of what Spencer's wedding dress and the bridesmaid dresses are to look like. Let me know what you think. Hopefully you're still interested in this story and if you are, review and tell me what you want to see happen. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

* * *

><p>"I slept with Ezra," Aria blurted out as she spoke to Hanna on the phone late Wednesday afternoon. "I know it was probably stupid but I couldn't hel—"<p>

"I slept with Caleb," Hanna interrupted. "And called him my boyfriend again. Too soon?"

Aria scoffed. "I'm probably not the best judge of that right now. Ezra and I agreed to take things slow and yet, we had sex yesterday. Three times."

"Damn, girl!" Hanna cried. "Are you tired?"

"Stop," Aria blushed.

"Is he there now?" Hanna wondered. "Is he like, salivating for you to get off the phone?"

"Hanna!" Aria exclaimed, rolling her eyes. "No, he's having lunch with some colleagues in the English department today."

Hanna sighed as she eyed fabrics for Spencer's wedding dress. "Well, have you guys talked about where you stand now?"

"Nope," Aria denied. "It's the giant elephant in the room now."

"That blows," Hanna declared. "I say get it out there and figure things out or you'll go back to where you two were three months ago—not speaking at all."

"But don't you think it would be weird for us to just be together again so easily?" Aria asked.

Hanna smirked. "Aria, I got back together with my high school boyfriend after five years of not speaking at all. I think you and Fitz could get married tomorrow and it would be normal."

"Well, that definitely isn't happening," Aria laughed. Before Hanna could respond, she heard the front door open. "Han, he's back; I gotta go."

"Call me later," Hanna requested, ending their call.

Ezra made his way into the kitchen and found Aria sitting at the table. "Hi."

"Hey," she smiled. "How was lunch?"

"It was good," he replied, setting his keys down on the counter. "Dr. Foster showed us pictures of his trip to Greece and Jane got engaged so she told us about that."

Aria nodded. "She's the composition professor, right?"

"Yes," he confirmed. "Did you eat?"

"Yeah, there was some leftover Chinese in the fridge," she told him.

Silence filled the room as he leaned against the counter and she fiddled with the rings on her left hand.

"Well, this is a little uncomfortable," he chuckled nervously.

"It shouldn't be," she shrugged. "We were always good at talking."

"Maybe not always," he grinned, sitting down with her, "but usually and especially after you graduated high school."

She stared at him. "Do you think we rushed into what happened yesterday?"

"I don't know," he admitted honestly. "I want to say 'no' but I might be lying. I don't necessarily regret it but it was a little rash."

"I just, I don't know," she muttered. "This _urge_ came over me and I couldn't stop myself."

"Well, it's not like I was pushing you away," he replied. "I just don't want that impulse to set us back."

Aria shook her head. "Me either. I think we need to be a little more pragmatic about this."

"Right," he agreed. "But I also don't like the glacial pace we've been moving at either. We need a middle ground."

She leaned towards him and kissed him softly. "Well, I think this is okay."

"Yeah?" he mused, intensifying the kiss. "I like this."

Aria allowed the kiss to continue a bit longer before pushing him away. "Maybe not too much though."

"Okay," he grinned. "Do you have plans tonight?"

"Well, Hanna is showing Spencer the final draft of her sketch for the wedding dress so she can start sewing tomorrow and Spencer asked Emily and I to see it with her," she replied. "We're having a sleepover like we did when we were in high school."

Ezra raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. So I'm on my own for the evening?"

"Yes," she confirmed. "I'm sorry but Spencer sounded manic on the phone and she's hard to say no to, particularly when she's planning a wedding in only two months."

"Its fine," he assured her. "I can always call up Hardy and see what he's up to."

"You know, it wouldn't hurt for you to get to know Toby and Caleb," Aria advised. "I know they were your students and everything but if we're going to be together for the long haul and Toby is marrying Spencer and Caleb and Hanna solve their issues, they're going to be around for important things."

He eyed her. "What are you suggesting?"

"Well, you could have like, poker night or something?" she shrugged. "You can invite Hardy, Toby, and Caleb here and have guys' night. It would probably be a lot of fun."

"Hardy would never go for it," Ezra denied. "He still has a hard time accepting you and it's been six years. I doubt hanging out with twenty-two-year-olds is high on his list of things to do."

Aria rolled her eyes. "Hardy is more childish than both of them combined. And I'll bet neither of them ever thought _Chitty Chitty Bang Bang _was Mexican porn." She pouted. "Please? Do it for me. It would mean a lot to me and the girls if you all became at least friendly acquaintances."

"I guess it couldn't hurt," he sighed. "It's going to be uncomfortable at first. You at least know that, right?"

"I do," she nodded, going to sit in his lap, "but I appreciate it. And who knows? You might really like them. Toby reads a lot and Caleb could potentially be handy if your cell phone malfunctions."

Ezra laughed. "Well, if he's good for that, I better have him around."

"I'm sorry," she smiled. "I don't know a whole lot about Caleb to be completely honest but he's back in Hanna's life in a big way so we'll all get to know him together."

"You're gonna have to get Toby and Caleb here," he stated. "I can coerce Hardy with alcohol of some sort."

Aria stood up so he could move from his chair. "Thanks."

He leaned down to kiss her briefly. "The things I'll do for you."

That night, Hanna made her way into the Hastings barn and took a deep breath. Spencer hadn't seen any sketches since she'd first started thinking about what the dress should look like and Hanna was nervous to show her best friend the final outcome.

"Hey," Emily smiled as Hanna approached the three other girls. "I'm so excited to see what you've come up with."

"Before we talk about wedding dresses and things of that nature, can we discuss the fact that Ezra invited Toby and Caleb to your house for poker night?" Spencer mused in Aria's direction.

Aria smirked. "I just thought it would be nice for them to all get to know each other better. Ezra's closest male friend is a nice guy but maturity isn't always his strong suit."

"I think Caleb might've been a little excited about it," Hanna told them, settling onto the couch next to Spencer. "He spends most of his time with nerds in the computer labs at Penn or me so poker night with normal guys sounded pretty good to him."

"Toby, too," Spencer agreed. "I would just love to be a fly on the wall at that house tonight." She cleared her throat and looked to Hanna. "Okay, let me see."

Hanna took a deep breath and pulled her leather-bound sketch pad from her giant Prada tote bag. "Before I show you, you have to let me explain a few things first. Outdoor weddings in the summer are hard because you have to find fabrics that will look pretty but also breathe in weather that can be a tad unforgiving. With that said, I still wanted to design something that is your style, which I consider classically chic, as opposed to say, my glam or Aria's sort of funky. You're tall and very slender so I knew it would have to be cut close to your body—which we discussed—and this is what I came up with as the final product." She opened the pad and held up the gown design for her friends to see.

"Oh, Hanna," Aria breathed. "It's so beautiful."

Spencer took the sketch into her hands and smiled. "It's so much better than what I even anticipated. I already want to wear it right now."

The dress was a sheath silhouette with a v-cut neckline and wide lace sleeves to match the material of the dress. There was an intricate flower detailing throughout the gown with beading and a silk belt around the waist.

"I envisioned it in white but I could do ivory if you prefer," Hanna added. "One of my professors from Parsons is hooking me up with a seamstress who's worked for Vera Wang and Amsale so she knows wedding dresses."

"I think white," Spencer declared. "It's a summer wedding and ivory is a bit toned down for the bright colors you'll be wearing." She leaned over to tightly hug her blonde friend. "I'm so pleased with this, Hanna. I knew you would come up with something incredible."

"Thanks," Hanna whispered. "You're going to make a gorgeous bride, Spence. And I promise that the dress won't be too heavy."

"It's going to take Toby's breath away, that's for sure," Emily spoke up.

"I hope," Spencer beamed. "I know I've been a crazy person lately about everything but I really do appreciate everything you guys have been doing for me. Planning a wedding in just a few months is really difficult but you three have been amazing."

"We're your best friends," Aria said. "This is exactly what we're here for."


	12. Chapter 12

**Again, sorry it's been a while. This probably isn't my best chapter but I don't usually focus strictly on the boys in the story so it was weird to write. But, in any case, here's poker night. Let me know what you think. I tried to keep the guys in character but it's unlikely this would ever happen-apart from Toby and Caleb being friends (that SHOULD happen)-so it wasn't easy. Thanks to everyone who is still reading and reviewing; it means a lot.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

* * *

><p>At quarter to eight, the doorbell rang at the Montgomery house rang so Ezra went to answer it, finding a disgruntled Hardy on the other side.<p>

"Dude, this is not exactly what I had in mind when you suggested poker night," Hardy grumbled, pushing past his friend to get inside. "I'm almost thirty; hanging out with guys who are fresh out of college is not my idea of a good time."

Ezra shut the door and led Hardy to the kitchen. "I know. I'm not exactly thrilled to spend the evening playing cards with two former students I barely know but Aria asked me and I couldn't tel—"

"You _wouldn't_ tell her no," Hardy filled in. "Man, I can't believe you still revolve your entire life around Jailbait."

"Stop calling her that," Ezra requested. "She's twenty-two."

"Oh, hey, the same age as the two little kids we're about to play poker with," Hardy joked dryly. "This is going to be really uncomfortable for all of us."

"Please be nice," Ezra begged. "Toby is marrying her friend Spencer and Caleb dates Hanna so if Aria and I work things out, I'm going to be around them quite a bit in the future and I don't need you alienating them from the get-go."

Hardy sighed. "You so owe me."

"I bought your favorite beer," Ezra said, opening the fridge.

"That's a start," Hardy declared, taking one from the pack. "So, what are these kids like?"

Ezra hopped up to sit on the counter. "I barely remember. Let's see, Toby was accused of murder in high school and eventually dropped out to get his GED because even though he was cleared, his peers made his life hell. I know he and Spencer eventually started dating when she was also named a suspect in the same murder."

Hardy's jaw dropped. "What kind of people do you hang out with when I'm not around, Z?"

"Both Toby and Spencer were cleared of all charges," Ezra assured him. "They live in Connecticut and she just graduated from Yale while he works with an architect."

"And who is it they were accused of murdering?" Hardy wanted to know.

"Alison DiLaurentis," Ezra replied. "She was a close friend of the girls who went missing a year before I started teaching at Rosewood."

Hardy took a drink of his beer. "And did they ever find the actual murderer?"

"Yes," Ezra confirmed. "It was a neighbor of theirs and her cop boyfriend; the girl had some resentment built up and channeled her anger in a violent way."

"Jesus," Hardy breathed, taking another drink. "What about the other guy?"

"I don't know much about Caleb," Ezra said. "He was a little sketchy and never said much in school. I know he and Hanna dated for a little while and then he somehow betrayed her and went out to Arizona but I guess he's back now."

"God, this all sounds so high school," Hardy groaned. "I hate you for this."

"It might be fun," Ezra shrugged. "We might end up really liking them."

Before Hardy could respond, the doorbell rang. Ezra jumped down from the counter and walked to the foyer to open the door, revealing Caleb on the other side.

"Uhh, hey," Caleb said. "Hanna told me eight o'clock."

"Yeah, come in," Ezra nodded, letting him inside. "Caleb, this is my friend Hardy. Hardy, this is Caleb."

Hardy held out a hand for Caleb to shake. "Nice to meet you, man."

"You, too," Caleb said, feeling severely uncomfortable. "So, are you guys any good?"

"I'm not much of a poker player but Hardy used to hustle people in college," Ezra replied. "I haven't played with him in a while though so we'll see. What about you?"

"Uh, poker has paid for quite a bit over the last four years," Caleb said. "Jobs weren't so easy to come by in Arizona so I had to make money any way I could."

Ezra chuckled. "Great, so I'm playing with two card sharks. Hopefully Toby is as bad as I am."

An hour later, long after Toby had arrived, the guys had consumed enough alcohol to take away most of the awkward tension between them.

"So, you're getting married, right?" Hardy said to Toby as he raked in his latest winnings. "And you're what, twenty-two?"

Toby nodded. "Yes and yes."

"So young, man," Hardy murmured. "I'm four months from thirty and have no desire to settle down."

"Well, I've been in love with Spencer since I was sixteen and I want to spend the rest of my life with her so I'm ready," Toby shrugged. "I know it's a big step but I've been thinking about it for a long time so I think it'll be good."

Hardy nodded. "I'm not judging. What's she like?"

"Scary," Caleb whispered.

Toby shot him a look. "She's ambitious and really smart and beautiful. She just finished undergrad at Yale and will start law school there in September to go into corporate law."

"Yeah?" Hardy mused. "I thought about corporate law once upon a time."

"Please," Ezra scoffed. "You saw an episode of _Law & Order_ while drunk, declared you were going into law, and then passed out over your computer while looking up photos of Mariska Hargitay on Google."

Caleb smirked. "Well, from what I remember of Spencer, I know if I were to face-off with her in a courtroom, I'd be intimidated."

"You make her sound like a monster," Toby mumbled. "Spencer's the best person I know."

"Yeah, and it's not like you're a teacher who dated a former student or anything like that," Hardy added. "Oh, wait, _you_ did that," he said to Ezra. "How are things with Jailbait these days?"

Ezra eyed his friend. "Things are good. I think this summer will be good for us and hopefully by the end of it, she'll be moving in with me."

"In your shitty little apartment?" Hardy scoffed. "There's no way that'll work out; it's too small for one person, let alone two."

"Yeah, I gotta know how that relationship started," Caleb spoke up. "I didn't even know about it until just recently."

Ezra sighed. "We met before she was a student and then we tried to stay apart but it didn't work. It was hard to keep it to ourselves for so long but I was afraid of how her parents would react and I wanted to protect her so that's what I did. _I _just found out recently that Spencer, Hanna, and Emily have known about us from the very beginning."

"I've known since Spencer and I moved to Connecticut," Toby admitted. "It kind of slipped out and she was mortified she'd told me but who was I to say anything about it? I've had my fair share of drama in life to know it wasn't my place."

"Right," Hardy remembered. "You were uhh, accused of murder, right? I grew up in New York, in a city of eight million people, and your small town of four hundred is more scandalous."

"Well, I don't know about that," Toby laughed, "but Rosewood is definitely never boring."

Caleb shook his head. "I've been away for almost six years and it's exactly as I remember it—still revolved a DiLaurentis death."

"Yeah, that family has had a rough time," Toby sighed. "But I'd rather not think about them anymore."

"So what's your girl like?" Hardy asked Caleb. "I know Spencer is smart and motivated, Aria is a little funky and free-spirited, and Emily—whom I met once randomly when I bumped into her and Aria—is athletic and polite. Tell me about the fourth."

"Hanna is amazing," Caleb said as a small smile tugged on the corners of his mouth. "She's stubborn and opinionated and vulnerable and aggressively loyal to people who deserve it. I'm a much better person with her in my life than without her." He grinned. "She was the first person to ever really accept me and I'll never forget that. I love her."

Hardy was silent for a long minute before he laughed. "Man, you three are suckers. You two are barely out of college and are convinced the women you're with are the ones you should be with forever. And you," he went on, looking back to Ezra, "are in love with a girl seven years younger than you."

"So what?" Ezra demanded. "I'm happy. Toby and Caleb seem to be happy. You're the one who says you're so happy to be single and whatever but I don't think you are. I think it's just a façade you hide behind."

Caleb sucked in a breath. "Ouch."

"Dude, no," Hardy denied, though visibly shaken. "I _am_ happy to be on my own but I've never said I wouldn't settle down if I met the right girl; I just haven't yet."

"Then stop judging us," Ezra warned.

"Fine," Hardy agreed. "Geez."

By the end of the night, only Caleb and Hardy remained in the game and Hardy had gone all in on his hand.

"Is that smart?" Toby wondered. "Caleb's been kicking your ass all night."

Hardy raised an eyebrow. "I'm confident."

Ezra flipped the last card, revealing the queen of spades. "Hardy, you show first."

"Full house," Hardy beamed, showing his pair of sevens to go with three kings on the table.

Caleb smiled sadly. "You're so happy about that hand and I hate to wipe that smug look off your face but I have to." He laid down his two cards—a four of diamonds and the king of hearts. "Four of a kind."

"No!" Hardy cried. "Son of a bitch!"

"Sorry," Caleb apologized sarcastically as he raked all the chips to his pile. "I told you—poker has been a prime source of income since I was sixteen. I out hustle the hustlers."

Ezra patted Caleb's back. "Thank you for beating him. He's an insufferable winner."

"No problem," Caleb smirked.

"What do you think the girls are doing?" Toby asked as they cleaned up the chips and cards.

"Planning your wedding," Ezra replied.

"And probably wondering how our night is going," Hardy added. "You know they have to be thinking about it. You three haven't really been friends and I only know Ezra so I'm sure they think it's hilarious to have forced us all into this situation."

"I think it went well," Ezra declared. "I don't know that we'll all be best friends but we know now that we can hang out and get along."

Caleb sipped his beer. "I had a great time taking all your money so whenever you're all up for another ass-whooping, just let me know."

"Ha-ha," Hardy deadpanned. "You just got lucky, kid."

"Tell yourself that," Caleb grinned.

Toby pulled on his jacket. "Well, guys, I had a great time but its late and I have to be on a job site at nine-thirty in New Haven and I've gotta drive back tonight so I should get going."

Ezra shook his hand. "Thanks for coming. If I don't see you beforehand, I'll see you at your wedding."

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna head back to Philadelphia tonight so I should go, too," Caleb decided, standing up. "Thanks for having me," he said shaking Ezra's hand. "And it was nice meeting you," he said to Hardy.

Once Toby and Caleb were gone, Ezra looked to Hardy. "That wasn't so terrible, was it?"

"I guess not," Hardy sighed. "I don't care to lose at poker but they weren't so bad for only being twenty-two. I guess if you're gonna be around them from now on, I won't hate hanging out with them if I have to."

Ezra rolled his eyes. "What a friend you are."


	13. Chapter 13

**I'm sorry it's taken me a while to update. I have a lot of school stuff going on until mid-December and I don't have much time for leisurely writing. Also, the story Emily tells Aria is actually from another story I wrote-which I deleted, cause I had no motivation for it-but I really liked it and the interaction between Ezra and Emily seems legit so I carried it over. It also gives Aria another reason to love him (as if she needs one though). Anyways, I appreciate any and all feedback and if you're reading this still, I think you're aces. I don't plan on having too many more chapters but don't hold me to that.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing _Pretty Little Liars_-related.**

"Caleb just text me," Hanna spoke up as the girls settled in to watch _Bridesmaids_. "He said their poker night went well and he kicked everyone's ass at poker; he won $150."

Spencer laughed. "I'm not surprised Toby lost. He's pretty terrible at any card game except Uno."

"I imagine Hardy is unhappy," Aria declared. "From what I remember, he was quite the poker player."

"I'm glad they had a good time," Hanna said. "I was a little nervous it would be really awkward and uncomfortable for all of them but it seems like it was totally fine."

Before anyone could respond, Aria's phone rang.

"Three guesses who that is," Emily teased.

"Hey," Aria answered.

"I know you're having your sleepover or whatever but I just wanted to let you know poker night was a success," Ezra said into the phone as he turned on the TV in the living room. "Caleb and Toby are okay once I got over the fact that I used to teach them."

Aria smiled. "I told you it would be fine. Caleb told Hanna he won. How'd Hardy take that?"

"You know Hardy," Ezra chuckled. "Losing at anything is not his strong suit."

"Right," she remembered.

Ezra cleared his throat. "Okay, I'll let you go. Have fun."

"I'll see you in the morning," she said before hanging up.

"So what's the deal with you two?" Spencer demanded when Aria tucked her phone away.

Hanna eyed her knowingly. "Yes, Aria, what _is_ your deal with Mr. Fitz?"

"Hanna," Aria warned, "stop."

Emily's jaw dropped. "Wait, what does Hanna know?"

Aria frowned at the blonde. "I slept with Ezra last night."

"I knew it!" Emily cried. "I said to Spencer tonight that you were glowing in a way I haven't seen since before last Christmas when you two were still together. How'd it happen?"

"We had a really great day together and at the time, it seemed right," Aria explained. "In retrospect, it probably was a little fast for us but we're good."

"I just want to know if he's your boyfriend again?" Spencer wondered. "Like, should I address your wedding invitation to the two of you together or just 'Aria Montgomery and Guest,' even though I know you'll bring him?"

"I think you can address it to the two of us," Aria declared. "Part of me is hoping we'll be living together by then."

Hanna smirked. "Cohabitating? That's a major step."

"I think it's what's next," Aria shrugged. "If we'd stayed together all this time, we always talked about getting married when I graduated so it's likely we would have been living together by now."

"But isn't his apartment like, one room?" Hanna asked, scrunching her nose. "There's no way two people could live there."

"Probably not," Aria denied. "But I love his little apartment; it's so Ezra."

Spencer sighed. "I liked the apartment Toby lived in during our senior year of high school, too, but picking a place in New Haven was better because we did it together and it was ours. If you move in with him, you'll always feel like _you're_ living in _his_ space."

"Oh, Spence, always the voice of reason," Hanna teased.

"I'm just saying," Spencer shrugged. "Apartment-hunting is a lot of fun."

That night, only Emily and Aria remained awake, sitting with their backs up against the couch together.

"I'm glad you and Ezra worked things out," Emily admitted. "I always liked him for you. Even when Spencer and Hanna were sort of scandalized by it in the beginning, it made sense to me; I thought that after our first week with him as a teacher."

"Thanks, Em," Aria smiled. "I don't know. I'm young and it seems crazy but I can't really imagine spending my life with anyone but him."

Emily was quiet for a long time before speaking. "I've never told anyone this, and I imagine he never mentioned it, but do you remember that day during junior year when Nick McCullers came to school and caused a scene in the cafeteria about me getting special treatment for being gay?"

"Sure," Aria nodded. "Ezra diffused the situation."

"Right," Emily breathed. "Well, I went and spoke to him that afternoon and he was really encouraging. He told me things that made high school a bit more tolerable."

Aria furrowed her brow. "Like what?"

Emily looked down at her hands as she shared the memory.

* * *

><p><em>Ezra was preparing for the parent-teachers conferences when a knock at the door startled him. He looked up, expecting to see Aria, and found Emily Fields instead. <em>

_ "Um, Mr. Fitz, do you have a minute?" she asked nervously._

_ "Sure," he nodded. "Come on in."_

_ She walked into the classroom and shut the door behind her. "I uhh, just wanted to thank you for what you did in the cafeteria today when Mr. McCullers showed up. It's nice to know I at least have some support in this school."_

_ He set his pen down. "Emily, I meant what I said to him. The faculty makes certain every student gets every opportunity to succeed. In this case, you deserved that spot over Paige; you're the better swimmer."_

_ "I guess," she muttered. "I just don't think many people see it that way. I'm sure Mr. McCullers isn't the only person who thinks I'm getting special treatment because I'm…gay."_

_ "I know it seems that way now," Ezra stated, "but it'll get better. When I was your age, I had a friend come out in high school and it was hell for him. It didn't help that we were at an all-boys school and everyone knew everyone's business. Jack couldn't walk down the hall without someone making a joke or calling him some name." He chuckled at the look of dread on her face. "But with that said, Jack would tell you now that he doesn't regret coming out in high school. He'd lived a lie for so long that he decided he could take the ignorant harassment and ridicule so long as he could finally be himself. You've just gotta be strong, Emily, and rise above the idiots who don't understand."_

_ Emily leaned against a desk in the front row. "What about Jack's parents? Were they accepting of him when he came out?"_

_ "Not exactly," Ezra denied. "We grew up in New York City and he came from a very well-to-do family where everything has to be just-so all the time. Anything a little scandalous or controversial was frowned upon in his family so when he came out, it was hard for him at home. He spent a lot of time with my family because he was not only my friend but also my older brother's. Jack's dad was really hard on him. He wanted to send Jack to the best therapists in the city to 'cure' him and when Jack refused, he turned his back on his only son. His mother tried a different approach. She'd cry all the time and say it was her fault he was gay and she should've put him in sports as a kid instead of art classes. She wanted to guilt him into being straight."_

_ "So what happened?" Emily wondered._

_ "Well, after a few months of isolation from his dad and melodramatics from his mother, Jack sat them—along with his older sisters—down and explained that there was nothing they could do about him being gay," Ezra told her. "He said he was born that way and there was no way he could change just because they didn't like it. His sisters were understanding and said they loved him regardless of his sexual orientation but it still took some time for his parents to come around. To this day they don't fully understand but they do love him and they support him." He stood up from his desk and walked around to stand in front of Emily. "I know it's hard for you because you're sixteen and high school is hard enough as it is without being different or unique. But don't spend all your time worrying about it. You have a really great group of friends who I'm sure are willing to stand by you through anything that comes your way."_

_ "Yeah," she breathed. "It's just my parents, I guess. My dad was okay when I came out but he's in Texas now so I just have my mom and she's not exactly proud to have a gay daughter." _

_ Ezra frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that. I remember talking to one of Jack's sisters when he first came out and she said it was very shocking because he'd never really done anything or given any indication he was gay. Maybe your mom is going through something similar. Regardless of how accepting and supportive any parent is, the first time they hear it must be difficult. I'm sure your parents just want the best for you and for you to be happy." _

_ "I guess the one thing I do relate to is spending time with friends," Emily muttered. "I've spent more time at Spencer and Aria's lately than ever. Spencer's parents aren't around much but Aria's are cool. It must be nice to have such an informal family." She eyed him to see how he reacted to hearing about Aria's family._

_ "I'm meeting Aria's dad tomorrow but I like Ella quite a bit," Ezra stated, clearing his throat. "She's a very nice woman."_

_ "Very accepting," Emily added. "Ella has a lot of respect for her kids and their choices."_

_ Ezra furrowed his brow. "Well, I suppose that's a good thing."_

_ Emily saw the time on the clock above the door. "I should go. I know parent-teacher conferences start soon so I'm sure you need to get ready. Thanks, Mr. Fitz."_

_ "Anytime," he smiled._

_ She walked to the door and turned back briefly. "Mr. Fitz, is your friend happy?"_

_ "He's living in Boston with his boyfriend of three years, studying art history at Harvard," Ezra reported. "And he's one of the happiest guys I know."_

_ Emily grinned briefly before exiting the classroom._

* * *

><p>"Wow," Aria breathed when Emily finished. "You're right; he's never told me that story. But I have met Jack and he's with that same guy, still just as happy, and they have two little boys."<p>

"I didn't talk about it much but I was in a bad place back then," Emily admitted. "I know we were all dealing with a lot—no thanks to the 'A' drama—so I didn't want to put that burden on you three but it was hard. Rosewood is a small town and I don't like rumors, especially about me."

"Em," Aria murmured. "Why didn't you ever tell us? It didn't matter what we were dealing with. You're more important than all of that."

Emily shrugged. "It's in the past now. I just, I wanted you to know that he was really great to us, even before he knew we knew."

"He's good like that," Aria smiled.

"Yeah," Emily nodded. "That conversation with him was a lot different than the one I had a couple months ago with Caleb in Arizona."

Aria smirked. "Why's that?"

"He was just so sad," Emily remembered. "Like the last five years without Hanna had just been torture for him."

Aria looked to where Hanna was sleeping peacefully on the reclining chair. "Well, it seems it's going to work out for them, too." She nudged her friend. "But what about you, Em?"

"Oh, I don't know," Emily sighed. "I dated some at school but no one special."

"Do you ever speak to Maya or Samara?" Aria wondered.

"Um, I got a postcard from Maya about a year ago," Emily answered. "She's living in London and playing in the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra over there. But as for Samara, I haven't heard from her since high school."

"She was my favorite," Aria said. "I liked Maya but there was just something about Samara that gave me the impression you liked her more."

Emily cleared her throat. "Yeah, maybe."

Aria could tell the conversation was making Emily uncomfortable so she faked a yawn. "I think I'm gonna go to sleep. You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm tired, too," Emily agreed. "Hey, don't tell Ezra I told you that story."

"I won't," Aria assured her as she slid down to rest her head on her pillow. "Night, Em."

"Goodnight," Emily mumbled.

The following morning, the girls all woke up early and went their separate ways for the day. Aria didn't have to be at the bookstore until three so she headed home and snuck up to her bedroom to find Ezra sleeping soundly in her bed. She kicked off her shoes and crawled in next to him, kissing his cheek softly as she did.

He stirred. "Hey. What was that for?"

She smiled, thinking of Emily's story. "Just because."


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello, all! Been a while, eh? I was feeling a little unmotivated but thanks to last night's INCREDIBLE winter premiere, I've got it in me to finish this story. And seriously, last night was amazing. The entire scene where Ezra and Aria tell her parents, I was practically squealing like a tween girl who'd just be introduced to the Bieber (and I'm many years beyond being a tween). He's just so adorable. And the whole episode was so well-written and well-acted, particularly scenes with Spoby; I'm definitely jumping on that train this season, even more so than before. Okay, enough rambling. There will be two, maybe three, more chapters. Let me know what you think. I appreciate it so much. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

* * *

><p>"So your parents come home tomorrow," Ezra said as he leaned against the doorframe to Aria's bedroom on Friday night while she read a book. "And I'll go back to my place."<p>

"Yep," she nodded, not looking up at him.

"Could you maybe put your book down for a minute so we can talk?" he requested, walking over to sit at her desk.

Aria sighed and set her book down. "What's there to talk about? You just said what's going to happen."

"But I haven't said that's what I _want_," he told her. "These last four days have been incredible and I couldn't be happier about how things are going with us. Aria, I want you to move in with me."

"You do?" she whispered.

He smiled. "Of course I do. I've wanted you to move in all along; I just didn't want to scare you away while you were figuring things out."

"You dummy," she laughed softly. "So, what now?"

"Well, I'd like to talk to your parents about it first before you pack your life up to move out," he explained, "but I'm also thinking it might be time to upgrade from the one-room studio."

She frowned. "I love that little apartment."

"Me, too," Ezra agreed, "but I don't think either of us will like it so much when we're both living there." He walked over to take her hands to pull her up. "Which brings me to my next point of discussion: finding a new place for us to live."

"Apartment hunting?" she smiled. "That could be fun. I never had much say when I was in California because Lainey was so picky and I agreed to anything to shut her up."

He chuckled. "Well, it was sort of torture for me when I found the studio but I'm sure picking a place for both of us to live in together will be much more fun."

"Cool," she agreed, reaching up to kiss him. "I'm excited."

"So am I," he nodded, "but you're sure this is what you want? Moving in together is a major step and it's serious stuff, Aria. I love you and I know it's exactly what I want but I don't want you to feel pressured."

Aria shook her head. "I don't. I know you worry that I'll resent you someday because I'm only twenty-two and you think I'm settling down but I don't see it that way at all. I love you, Ezra, and I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I knew that when I was sixteen."

He couldn't wipe the grin from his face. "I want this to be it for me, Aria."

"Me, too," she said, "and it will be."

Saturday morning, Hanna dragged Caleb into a quiet Parsons in New York City and excitedly led him to Fiona's office.

"Why did I come?" he whined, sipping his coffee. "It's so early."

"Because in less than two months, I'm coming back to New York on a permanent basis and you need to know the city," she told him quietly. "I want you to be comfortable here."

He sighed. "All right, I get it."

Moments later, Hanna pushed back a door and found her former professor, Fiona Caplan, busy talking on the phone. She motioned for Hanna and Caleb to come in and used a finger to indicate she'd be a minute.

"…I don't care if she wants to donate her million-dollar collection of Birkin bags to the school, I _refuse_ to bring Rachel Zoe into any of my classrooms," she said angrily. "She's a phony hack who thinks she's more important than her clients." She listened for a moment. "Jim, it's not happening." She hung up quickly before another word was said. "Hanna Marin, you look great. Summer really agrees with you."

"Thank you," Hanna beamed. "Um, Fiona Caplan, this is my boyfriend, Caleb Rivers. Caleb, this is Fiona Caplan, Parsons' director of design."

Caleb reached out to shake her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"You, too," Fiona replied. "He's much cuter than that preppy blonde you dated."

Hanna frowned at mention of Graham. "I didn't come here to talk about him."

"I know," Fiona smiled. "I spoke with Marcy this morning and she's got her team ready to go on the wedding gown. If you can meet with her today at three-thirty to talk everything over, they can have it ready by July first for a fitting. Any alterations before the ninth can be done between then and she has assured me that it will be ready on time. I explained that your friend is a bit high-strung."

"To put it mildly," Caleb muttered. "Spencer Hastings is downright scary."

"She's _intense_," Hanna corrected. "And motivated."

Fiona wrote on the back of a business card and handed it to Hanna. "This is Marcy's studio in the West Village. She'll be expecting you at three-thirty. Don't be late, Marin."

Hanna stood and Caleb followed suit. "I won't. Thank you so much, Fiona."

"Just do me proud at Betsey Johnson," Fiona requested. "Good luck. Oh, and Hanna?"

"Yeah?" Hanna asked, turning to look over her shoulder.

Fiona smiled. "The dress you designed is beautiful."

"Thank you," Hanna beamed.

Once outside, Hanna and Caleb made their way towards Fifth Avenue so Hanna could shop before her meeting with Marcy.

"So, can we talk about how things are going to be with us when you move back here in August?" he wondered, taking her hand in his as they walked down the busy sidewalk. "It's just, I have a feeling we're going to get frustrated if we're taking turns going an hour and a half both ways every weekend."

She was momentarily quiet as she considered this. "Well, I can't exactly work for Betsey Johnson from Philadelphia so I don't know."

"What if I came here?" he wondered quietly. "When I was looking for jobs on the east coast, there were quite a few in New York. Maybe I could look into one of them?"

"You just started at Penn," she stated. "Won't it look bad if you leave after only a couple months?"

He shrugged. "I'm not really sure. My boss is pretty cool and I think she might understand if I were to move here to be with you. She said she gave up a job working at Apple so she could live in Philly with her husband."

"Really?" she murmured as a spark of hope ignited in the pit of her stomach. "But you love your job there. Where would you work if you come here?"

"Well, there were openings at Columbia and an engineering job with Apple in Newark," he remembered. "I'm pretty sure the Apple job would've been really great and the pay was good."

She clutched his hand tighter. "I mean, I like the idea of you coming here but it's not something we have to decide right this second. For now, I just want to enjoy a weekend together in New York."

"Sounds good to me," he sighed, kissing the side of her head.

"So, Aria said you two wanted to speak to us?" Byron said that afternoon once he and Ella were home from their trip and settled in.

Ezra cleared his throat. "Yes, we do." He reached under the dining room table to hold Aria's hand. "Aria and I have spent the last several days figuring out our relationship and we've decided we really want to have a serious future together."

"Okay," Ella muttered. "Did you propose to her?"

"No!" Aria cried. "No, it wasn't anything like that. It's just, well, he's stayed with me the last couple of days and it's made me realize that I like living with him."

Realization crossed Ella's face. "So you're moving in together."

"Yes," Ezra confirmed. "And we didn't want to just do it without talking to you both first."

"Well, I appreciate that," Byron said. "It's just a lot to take in. We only just recently found out about your multi-year relationship and now she's moving in with you. I know you aren't getting married right now but is it something we can expect?"

"I would like it to be," Ezra replied. He looked at Aria. "Would you?"

"Yeah," she whispered, unable to contain her smile.

Ella grinned at the sight of her daughter's obvious happiness. "Well, if this is really what the two of you want, I'm happy for you and I'll do whatever I can to help you move in or decorate or whatever."

"Yeah, if this is what you want, I'll do the same," Byron agreed. "I can see that you're going to take care of her and you love each other so I'm okay with it, so long as she gets her Masters."

"Of course," Ezra nodded. "I know how important that is to her and I'd never hold her back."

Ella fiddled with her wedding ring. "Well, have you two looked anywhere yet or will you just be moving into his apartment?"

"My place now is small for me so we're going to find something bigger," Ezra reported. "I set up an appointment with a realtor for tomorrow morning so we're going to look at a couple places around Hollis College."

"Great," Ella stated. "Well, when you find something you both like, just let me know and I'll start shopping. You'll need furniture to fill it because the simple couch and chair you've got now won't do."

"Ella, you don't have to do that," Ezra told her.

Ella flipped her hands at him. "Oh, it's nothing. It's just what mothers do when their daughters move out for good—they buy furniture."

Early the next morning, Aria and Ezra followed Lisa Hepburn—no relation to Katharine or Audrey, to Aria's dismay—into a quaint, two-bedroom apartment in a new building only two blocks from Hollis. It was the fourth one they'd seen and Aria was losing hope.

"I like the location," Ezra declared, looking around the kitchen. "And it's bigger than the other three at roughly the same price. Aria?"

"It's nice," she agreed, browsing through the bedrooms. "I like that it has two bathrooms so people wouldn't have to use ours all the time. And it's close enough to the expressway so it'll be easy to get to Philadelphia for school."

Lisa looked down at her leather-bound folder of information. "Utilities are included in the rent, there's a gym and pool for summer use, and there haven't been any noise complaints in the sixth months people have lived here. It's mostly young professionals or retired couples."

"I like that," Ezra spoke up. "I like that it's quiet around here. A couple college kids just moved into the building I'm in now and they have parties every other night."

"Well, there wouldn't be any problems with that here," Lisa assured him.

Ezra turned to Aria expectantly. "So, what do you think?"

"I like it," Aria nodded. "I could see us living here."

"Great!" Lisa cried. "You guys continue looking around and I'll start on the paperwork."

Ezra and Aria walked to the master bedroom and sat down on the window seat.

"It's weird," she murmured, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I mean, I've thought of us moving in together since I was about sixteen but it's really happening now."

"I'm glad," he said, pressing his lips to the top of her head. "I'm not sure I could be any happier that we've figured all this out and we're going to do this."

"Me either," she whispered, turning to kiss him. "I love you, Ezra Fitz."

He smiled. "I love you, too, Aria Montgomery. And welcome home."

"Home," she breathed, "has never sounded better."


	15. Chapter 15

**Here it is, the penultimate chapter. The last one will hopefully come soonishly and it will be Spencer and Toby's wedding but it will also tie up some loose ends for my two main couples-Ezria and Haleb. Samara will also make an appearance. I'm considering an epilogue that would take place several years later at their high school reunion so let me know your opinion on that idea. To readers and subscribers and reviewers, you're all absolutely wonderful and I so appreciate any and all feedback I've gotten. You're the best.**

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from _PLL_, it's certainly not mine.**

* * *

><p>"Tonight is going to be perfect, Spence," Hanna assured her nervous friend as they sat in the back row of chairs in the Hastings' backyard, waiting for everyone to show up for the wedding rehearsal. "And tomorrow will be even better."<p>

"It has to be," Spencer stressed, wringing her hands nervously. "I know I've made this all about me lately but I really want it to be perfect for Toby, too. He's been so incredible the last few months and he deserves a wedding to remember, as well."

Hanna smiled and patted Spencer's hand for assurance. "I will make it my responsibility to see to it that Toby Cavanaugh has the best wedding anyone has ever seen."

"Han, you've already done more than enough," Spencer said. "My dress is so beautiful and I owe that entirely to you."

"Well, me and Marcy and her team," Hanna laughed, "but thank you. I love you, Spence, and I want this wedding to be everything you want it to be."

Spencer nodded. "It will be. Once I stop stressing out and relax, I know it will be amazing."

"Hey, sorry I'm a little late," Aria apologized as she breezed into the yard, wearing a black, lacy dress, sticking to Spencer's dress code for the evening. "We're _still _unpacking and I couldn't find my black heels and Ezra has been watching baseball highlights all day, which is driving me crazy, so I'm a little flustered. Where's Em?"

"On a day date," Hanna smirked, "with Samara."

Aria raised an eyebrow. "Samara? How'd that come about?"

"They ran into each other at Hollis last week and made plans for today because Samara is going out of town tomorrow," Hanna explained. "She's supposed to be here though."

Veronica made her way into the backyard. "Spencer, Emily is parking out front so as soon as she's back here, we're going to begin. Are you ready?"

"Yes," Spencer confirmed, standing up. She turned to her friends. "Is it weird you've never met Toby's groomsmen?"

Aria shook her head. "Not really. You guys have an entire life in Connecticut that we know little about and I know it wasn't easy for him to make many friends around here."

"You'll like them," Spencer stated. "Joey is a little obnoxious but his wife is coming and she usually keeps him check. Derek, Blake, and Seth are okay though and you do sort of know Heath but he'll walk with Melissa."

"Breathe, Spence," Aria advised. "People get married every single day without any problems."

Spencer took a deep breath. "You're right."

Ten minutes later, Spencer and Toby stood at the head of the aisle in front of Reverend Ackard, discussing how the following evening would go. They'd agreed to write their own vows and decided the ceremony wouldn't last more than thirty minutes. Spencer didn't realize how fidgety she was until Toby reached over to take her hands and soothingly rubbed his thumbs on her palms.

_"Breathe," _he mouthed to her.

She smiled and tried to shake off her jitters.

"Let's run through it one more time and then we'll be finished," Reverend Ackard declared towards the end of the rehearsal. "Do you think we can get our flower girl and ring bearer to do it once more?"

Toby looked to where Mason was slowly nodding off in Peter's lap. "Oh, I think he can go once more if we hurry."

When they wrapped up twenty minutes later, Spencer and Toby led everyone outside and were surprised with a classic Ford Mustang convertible waiting for them in the driveway.

"What is this?" Spencer demanded of her parents.

Veronica grinned. "We thought you two deserved a nice car to ride in to the restaurant so your dad rented this for the night."

"Thanks, Dad," Spencer beamed, hugging Peter.

"Of course," he replied.

Once Spencer and Toby were gone, Aria headed towards her car and found Ezra, wearing dress pants and a light blue button-up with a black skinny tie, waiting for her.

"Hi," he greeted her. "You look incredible."

"I look exactly how I did when I left the apartment," she grumbled, unlocking the car. "You just didn't notice. What are you doing here?"

He climbed into the passenger seat. "Spencer invited me and Caleb to dinner. I take it by your lack of enthusiasm at seeing me that you're mad about something."

"Mad about something?" she repeated as she pulled away from the curb to follow Emily's Corolla. "Ezra, I spent the entire day unpacking while you ate and watched baseball. You don't even like baseball!"

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I'm just so tired of unpacking; it's all we've been doing for weeks now. I never realized how much stuff we have."

She rolled her eyes. "But if you keep taking all these breaks, it'll never get finished and we'll be digging through boxes forever."

Ezra, realizing he'd been wrong, frowned. "You're right, I apologize. On Sunday, while you recover from Wedding Weekend, I will do the unpacking and you can relax."

"I like unpacking together," she told him softly. "I like that we're making this life for us; I just don't care for doing it alone."

"No more," he promised. A long silence filled the car before he spoke again. "And for the record, I like unpacking together, too."

"Kiss ass," she muttered jokingly as she parked in the Rive Gauche lot.

Inside, Toby's parents had rented out the private back room for the night so Aria took her seat between Ezra and Hanna.

"Caleb cleans up nicely," Aria whispered to her blonde friend.

"He does, huh?" Hanna smiled. "Fitz doesn't look so bad. I see he was able to tear himself away from baseball to come."

Aria smirked. "Yeah, he apologized for his laziness. I want to make him suffer a little longer but I'm a sucker for the skinny tie. It reminds me of when we first started seeing each other."

"Ah, yes," Hanna nodded, "when we were sixteen and he was teaching our English class."

"Ha-ha," Aria deadpanned.

Hanna leaned around her boyfriend to address Emily. "So, how'd it go with Samara?"

Spencer, who was seated across from her friends, jumped in. "Yeah, thanks for telling me and Aria about that."

"It was sudden," Emily told them. "We just saw a movie and walked around for a while. It was nice though and we made plans to meet up again when she gets back from DC."

"Ooh," Hanna teased.

Aria swatted Hanna's leg. "I think that's great, Em."

"Thanks," Emily blushed.

"If I could get everyone's attention?" Toby called out after everyone had finished eating. He stood up. "Spencer and I want to thank you all for coming out tonight to celebrate with us and we really appreciate you all making this weekend so memorable. There was a time in our lives when the idea of this wedding would have seemed completely ridiculous," he began, referring back to early in their junior year of high school when Spencer was convinced Toby had murdered Alison, "but now, six years later, nothing seems more natural or right to me. We have faced more obstacles in our time together than most would face in several lifetimes but I've found Spencer and me always come out stronger on the other side. She's crazy smart and beautiful and stubborn. When she pushes me, I know it's because she wants to see me succeed in everything I do and I want all of that and more for her. Someone once told me that the idea of facing Spencer in court someday is intimidating and it should be because I know her better than anyone and her will to win is intense." He smiled down at his fiancée. "But it's one of the things I love most about her. I'm a lucky guy to marry you tomorrow, Miss Hastings, and I can't wait to be with you forever."

Spencer stood up and kissed him softly when he finished his speech. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he replied.

"It was me," Caleb declared. "I'm the one who said Spencer would intimidate the hell out of me in court."

Emily nodded. "Me, too, but that's what will make her an amazing lawyer. Scary lawyers are always the best. Haven't you ever seen _Suits_?"

"Yeah, but the guy who played Mike wasn't scary," Aria spoke up.

"True," Ezra jumped in, "but he wasn't legally a lawyer."

"No, but he was definitely cute," Spencer grinned.

Toby cleared his throat. "Really?"

"Oh, God," she muttered. "You can't possibly get jealous about that after the way you talked about Rachel McAdams in _The Notebook _the other night."

"Aw, you watched _The Notebook_," Aria joked. "Toby, that's so sweet."

"Yeah, well, I was later rewarded," he insinuated.

"Okay, that's enough!" Hanna cried, tapping her spoon on her glass and standing up. "For those of you who don't know, I'm Hanna Marin, a longtime friend of Spencer's and—not to toot my own horn—her dress designer and I just want to say how happy I am for the bride and groom. For as long as I've known her, Spencer has been incredibly intense and a little high-strung but those characteristics have definitely calmed down since she started seeing Toby when we were sixteen. He's laid-back and cool and has this insane ability to keep her head from spinning off, a skill the rest of us have yet to master. I just want to raise a toast to wish them a lifetime of happiness and beg for nieces and nephews for me to make clothes for and spoil someday." She raised her champagne. "To Spencer and Toby."

"To Spencer and Toby," everyone murmured, doing the same.

When the night ended, Caleb and Hanna rode back to her mother's house together (as she'd just walked to the Hastings' earlier in the afternoon) and prepared to settle in for the night. They'd decided it was easier for him to just stay there than drive home to Philadelphia only to come back the next morning.

"They seem really happy," Caleb said as he stripped down to just his boxers.

"Yeah," Hanna said, changing into a pair of silk shorts and matching tank top. "When I was sixteen, I never in a million years would've put them together but now, they probably make the most sense out of all of us."

Caleb smirked. "Is that so?"

"Well, no matter how in love they are, Ezra _was _Aria's teacher back when they hooked up in the beginning and they have a seven year age gap," she explained. "If things work out with Samara, Emily only first met her when she was trying to help a different girl she was dating at the time come out comfortably. And once upon a time, you left." Before he could protest, she continued. "I know, I know, that's all water under the bridge and we're perfectly happy and back on track, but it happened. In that regard, Spencer and Toby make the most sense. They were both accused of murder, after all."

He laughed and pulled her down onto her bed with him. "Yeah, I guess that's true."

"Do you think about it much?" Ezra wondered aloud as he and Aria lay in bed.

"What?" she yawned, snuggling closer to him.

He looked down at her. "Us getting married."

"Sure," she confirmed. "I mean, when we met, I thought about it on a young, slightly immature teenage way but now that I'm older, I take it more seriously. I want to marry you."

"You do?" he smiled, knowing she couldn't see it.

"Of course," she breathed. "But I want a winter wedding someday, here in Rosewood at the church my parents got married in."

"I would be okay with that," he told her quietly. "The outdoor stuff is nice but the more traditional side of me wants a church wedding when the time is right."

"Good," she said, slowly nodding off. "I love you, Mr. Fitz."

"I love you, too," he chuckled lightly, placing the briefest of kisses on her forehead, "Miss Montgomery."


End file.
